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9/25/04
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7/24/04
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6/20/04
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May
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Bushido 3
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
5/7/04
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5
(MMA)
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5/2/04
Ring of Honor 5
(Sub Grappling)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/30/04
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in Paradise 3
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/25/04
Pride Heavyweight
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(MMA)
(Japan)
4/24 /04
Warriors
of the Ring 6
(MMA)
(Wailuku, Maui)
5th Hawaiian Champioships of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ)
(Honolulu, HI)
4/18/04
The Pride of Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport
Jiujitsu, G3 Kickboxing, Extreme Sparring & Submission Grappling)
(Kam H.S. Gym)
4/16/04
Super
Brawl 35
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/9/04
Ring
of Honor 4
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/3-4/04
Pan American BJJ
Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Gym, Dominguez Hills, Carson (Los
Angeles), CA)
4/3/04
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Palama Settlement Gym)
4/2/04
UFC
47
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
3/28/04
Super
Brawl 34
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
3/26/04
Shooto Hawaii 2
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
|
|
March 2004 News
Part 3
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 6:00PM on
Olelo Channel 52 |
Quote
of the Day
"Within you right now is the power to do things you never
dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as
soon as you can change your beliefs."
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, American Plastic Surgeon, Author of ''Psycho-Cybernetics''
|
2004
Pan-Ams Schedule
2004
Pan-Am Schedule
Friday
- 02/04
14:00
Rules meeting
14:30
Blue belt adult - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather
15:00
Blue belt adult - Light
16:40
Blue belt adult - Middle, Medium Heavy
18:00
Blue belt adult – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
Saturday
- 03/04
09:00
Rules meeting
09:30
Blue belt master - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light, Middle,
Medium Heavy
10:30
Blue belt master – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
11:00
Blue belt Senior I – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
11:30
Blue belt Senior II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
12:00
Purple belt Master – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
12:30
Purple belt Senior I, II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper
Heavy
Blue belt Master – Open Class
Blue belt Senior I, II and III – Open Class
13:00
Brown belt Master – All divisions
Brown belt Senior I, II and III – All divisions
Sunday
- 04/04
09:00
Rules meeting
09:30
Brazil x USA
11:00
Blue belt Juvenile – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
11:30
Purple belt adult – Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light
12:30
Purple belt adult – Middle
13:00
Purple belt adult – Medium Heavy, Heavy
13:30
Purple belt adult – Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
15:00
Black belt adult – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
16:30
Brown belt adult – Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light,
Middle, Medium Heavy
17:00
Brown belt adult – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
Black belt master – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
Black belt senior I, II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper
Heavy
18:00
Blue belt adult FEMALE – All divisions
Purple/Brown/Black FEMALE – All divisions
18:30
Black belt master – Open Class
Black belt senior I, II and III – Open Class
Source: ADCC |
'PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR' - Complete Results!
'PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR'
Monday,March 29th, 2004
Korakuen Hall (Tokyo,Japan)
Live Gate: 2,300
Amateur
Match #1 / Pancrase Gate lightweight 2x5 min rounds
NUKINPO! (P's LAB Tokyo) def. Mitsuo Matsumoto (Gracie Barra
VTT Otori) by arm bar at 1R 3:23
Amateur
Match #2 / Pancrase Gate lightweight 2x5 min rounds
Taku Aramaki (P's LAB Yokohama) drew Naoki Yoshimura (Team K.I.B.A.)
at full time limit
Pro-Match
#1 / light heavyweight 2x5 min rounds
Yukiya Naito (A-3) def. Mitsuyoshi Sato (Pancrase GRABAKA) by
triangle choke at 1R 3:30
Pro-Match
#2 / middleweight 2x5 min rounds
Hidehiko Hasegawa (middleweight 7th ranked/SK Absolute) drew
Seiki Ryo (STAND) by 0-0-3 draw judges decision at full time
limit
Pro-Match
#3 / middleweight 3x5 min rounds
Hikaru Sato (PANCRASEism) def. Yuichi Nakanishi (middleweight
9th
ranked/freelance) by 2-0-1 majority judges decision at full time
limit
Pro-Match
#4 / middleweight 3x5 min rounds
Eiji Ishikawa (middleweight 6th ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) def.
Satoru
Kitaoka (PANCRASEism) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full
time limit
Pro-Match
#5 / light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
David Terrell (light heavyweight 6th ranked/U.S.A./Cesar Gracie
Academy) def. Osami Shibuya (light heavyweight 9th ranked/PANCRASEism)
by Heath choke at 1R 3:04
Semifinal
/ super heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
Keigo Takamori (superheavyweight 4th ranked/Pancrase MEGATON)
def. Jun Ishii (super heavyweight 6th ranked/Chojin Club) by
standing punch KO at 1R 0:40
Main
Event / light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
Yuki Kondo (3rd light heavyweight K.O.P./PANCRASEism) def. Steve
Heath (U.S.A./Cesar Gracie Academy) by choke sleeper at 1R 4:01
Source: ADCC |
Profile:
Travis Wiuff Part 1
As
unassuming as a man who packs a solid 250 pounds on his 6’2
frame can be, the mild-mannered Travis Wiuff lets his alter-ego
out when he transforms into fighter mode. The quiet Midwesterner
turns up the volume and lets his actions do his talking stepping
in the ring nearly 50 times in under 3 years. Wiuff has not only
transformed his body into a new, lean champion prospect, but
his mind as well. Now under the management of Monte Cox, the
26-year-old is no longer a $200 weekend fighter. Born and raised
in Owantonna, Minnesota, Wiuff was a typical kid growing up,
collecting football cards, playing football, baseball and wrestling.
The avid video game player now makes Rochester, Minnesota, home.
JC:
How did you come to train in MMA? TW: I’ve always stuck
with my background, which is wrestling. The biggest advantage
has been the cross training to learn different techniques. I
definitely am a stubborn person where I don’t like to try
a lot of new things. I feel in this day and age in this sport
you cannot be one-dimensional. You have to have some striking
experience, some ground experience. You can’t just rely
on one thing. I think to be in this sport you need to be more
open minded.
JC:
When did you start training in MMA? TW: When I first started
fighting I was strictly a wrestler. I can remember times when
my corner had to remind me to keep my hands up because all I
was doing was looking for the takedown, getting on top and grounding
‘n pounding. Now I feel a lot more comfortable standing
and trading with my opponent, but I would say probably within
the last 6 months that I started to feel more comfortable standing
and striking.
JC:
Why is that? TW: A lot of it is actually sparring with Dave Menne.
You learn to keep your hands up when he is jabbing you in the
face. You learn to move your head a little bit, so a lot of it
is actually sparring.
JC:
What is the name of your fight team? TW: It’s Team Extreme.
It has taken me a while to get use to that.
JC:
Where do you train? TW: I haven’t been down to Pat’s
(Miletich Fighting Systems) since I fought in the UFC. I make
it up to Dave’s (Menne) school about 2 to 3 times a week.
It’s about a 1.5 hour drive for me, but it’s worth
it.
JC:
Do you train outside of Dave’s? TW: Absolutely. I train
6 days a week here in town. I have 2 or 3 really good athletes
that have wrestled in the past and have fought a few shows, and
they’re kind of at the same place I was in the beginning.
They work out with me and they push me. They help me a ton. There
is a boxing gym here, and there are a couple of good amateur
heavyweights, so occasionally I’ll spar with them. Then
I do a ton of running, which helps my cardio.
JC:
That’s a good mix. TW: I do a lot of different things. I
do biometrics, spinning class, which is a really tough workout,
running hills, and I lift, but not as much weight.
JC:
What is a typical training day for you training for a fight?
TW: A typical day when I am training for a fight is some kind
of cardio activity in the morning. Either running, or hitting
pads, working on my striking, rolling with the guys, and then
at night I’ll do some type of lifting, then I’ll do
more cardio.
JC:
What is your fighting style today? TW: At the point I’m
at right now I still consider myself a wrestler. I think in time
when I get more comfortable with my striking and standing with
my opponent I may consider myself more a freestyle fighter, but
right now, I’m still just a wrestler.
JC:
When was your first fight? TW: November 2001.
JC:
How did it go? TW: It went well. It was a local bar show. I know
my opponent had no training. I finished him in less then 0:30
seconds.
JC:
And you took this fight coming straight out of wrestling? TW:
I went from straight wrestling to stepping into the ring. I trained
1 hour of striking and figured I’d give it a shot. The show
was in my hometown and I new my corner and I new my opponent
hadn’t trained, so I figured if worse came to worse, I could
take him down.
JC:
What is your MMA record? TW: 41-4.
JC:
What promotions have you competed in? TW: A lot of my fights
in the beginning were local small shows that Brad Kohler was
doing here in Minnesota and my record sounds great, but a lot
of those wins were against untrained fighters, just local tough
guys, so the records sounds great, but it’s not a lot of
quality wins. The major shows I’ve fought in are the UFC,
SuperBrawl, Extreme Challenge, Rumble on the Rock, and Victory
Fighting.
JC:
You have been all over, respectfully, one that would take a fight
this weekend, next weekend, one Friday night followed up by one
Saturday afternoon. But you are not doing that today. Why the
change? TW: It’s definitely not that I don’t want to
fight every weekend, as long as I stay healthy, but I guess the
biggest thing that made me change my mind is the money. I’ve
got to learn that I am more valuable then a couple of hundred
dollars, which in the past I know I would fight for a couple
hundred bucks. The quality of my opponents wasn’t that good
where I would have to carry them for a couple of rounds to make
it look good to the crowd. But people would see that I finished
a guy in the 3rd round who had never fought before. It just didn’t
look good for me. You fight a guy with no experience and it took
me 3 rounds to finish the guy.
JC:
It might look to many as if when you’re pushed by a higher
caliber opponent you do well, but against a lesser opponent you’re
slacking. TW: Yeah, exactly, and I got that from about a year
ago I fought in a small show and I basically had to carry my
opponent through the first round and I finished him in the second
round. A month later he fought another guy and he got beat within
the first minute. People were saying how it took Wiuff 2 rounds
to finish the guy, but the other guy finished him in a minute.
JC:
Do you participate in other sports? TW: Nope. I keep pretty busy
with my training and I’m also a personal trainer here in
town.
JC:
What do you do outside of MMA? TW: I was asked that the other
day and I struggled to find an answer. Honestly, I’m a huge
fan of the sport and if I’m not training, I’m either
watching fight tapes, I have tons of them, both as a fan and
a competitor. I think you can learn a lot from watching tapes
and I do that a lot. That is probably my biggest hobby right
now. I play a ton of video games. I have a pretty basic life.
I don’t do too much.
JC:
Do you have a girlfriend? TW: Yes.
JC:
What does she think about MMA and you playing video games? TW:
She is 100% supportive of it. I’m surprised at how supportive
she is. She has sat and watched the UFC with me. We have watched
all sorts of fights with me. She actually went with me to Brazil
when I fought Carlos Berrato, and she cornered me. It was amazing
and pretty crazy. Her support helps a ton. She was a competitive
bodybuilder so she kind of knows the whole competition thing
and preparing for it mentally and physically, so it helps a lot.
In
Part 2, Wiuff talks about his recent fight in Euphoria MFC against
M-1 champion Roman Zentsov of the Red Devil Fight Team, his goals
in MMA and how he plans to achieve them.
Source: ADCC |
Hermes
Franca: Ready for his Next Challenge
American
TOP TEAM's Hermes França left his home in Florida on Sunday
headed for Las Vegas, where he will spend the last week of his
training in preparation for Yves Edwards at UFC 47. The Brazilian
hopes he will bounce back from his decision loss to Josh Thomson
at UFC 46. Before his trip Hermes talked to us about his preparation:
'I
ended a training class earlier today, and everything is all fine
here, thank God! All the guys on ATT have big expectations for
this fight.' revealed an excited Franca.
On
Yves Edwards, who is a veteran of the UFC, França knows
it´s not going to be easy. Hermes stated 'Yves is a very
experienced athlete. He will be waiting for me to make a mistake,
but I won´t give him a chance. I´ve been focusing
and conducting my training preparing for his game, and I am going
to try to submit him. I´ve been training real hard and
I will take the fight to him, like I always do!'
As
of this week, it appears that this match will be on the PPV broadcast,
and the winner is reported to be facing Josh Thompson for the
long vacated title at 155 lbs. Stayed tuned for UFC 47 this weekend!
Source: ADCC |
SHOOTO
- Complete Results of Nagoya Event!
Tsurumai
Public Hall, Nagoya, Japan
Sunday, March 28th, 2004
SHOOTO
in Japan comes off their second event in a week, having an event
in Nagoya on March 28th as a followup to their 22nd Tokyo event.
COmplete rsults appear below.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Class
B: 2R of 5 Minutes:
[-65.0Kg] 2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Hayate Usui v. Takeshi Matsushita: Usui by Judges Decision.
[-52.0Kg]
2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Atsushi Takeuchi v. Takashi Yamamoto: Takeuchi by Judges Decision.
[-70.0Kg]
2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Kenichi Hattori v. Masaaki Yamamori: DRAW
Takahiro Kajita v. Toshikazu Iseno: Kajita by TKO, RD 1 at 4:50.
[-60.0Kg]:
Hiroyuki Tanaka x Akira Kibe:
[-65.0Kg]: Hatsu Hioki v. Yohei Nanbu: Hioki by Judges Deicison.
[-70.0Kg]: Naoki Matsushita v. Ganjo Tentsuku: Tentsuku by Judges
Decision.
Class
A: 3R of 5 minutes:
[-70.0Kg]: Ryan Bow v. Daisuke 'Amazon' Sugie: Bow by Judges
Decision.
SHOOTO
Grappling:
[-63.0Kg]: Akira Komatsu v. Hiroshi Umemura: Umemura on Points.
Source: ADCC |
JESSE
JANTZEN, WRESTLING'S NEWEST STAR
There
has been some consistency in the post-season performances of
Harvard's 149-pound senior, Jesse Jantzen, although it has not
always been the kind he preferred.
Jantzen
was the first four-time New York State high school champion,
wrestling out of Shoreham Wading River High in the Suffolk County
town of Shoreham, NY (of nuclear power plant infamy). His coach
was Don Jantzen, his dad. At Harvard, beginning in his sophomore
year of 2002, he started a three-year streak as the 149-pound
champ in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
But
his experience at the NCAA national tournament had yielded other
results. In both his sophomore year of 2002 and his junior year
of 2003, Jantzen finished third at 149. In each of those years
he had lost only one match in the tournament, both by scores
of 7-2, and both to the eventual runners-up. In 2002 he dropped
a 7-2 decision to Jared Frayer of Oklahoma, before wrestling
back to third place. (Frayer, in another irony, is now on the
coaching staff at Harvard, and works closely with Jantzen.) And
in 2003 Jantzen lost in the semis to defending champ Jared Lawrence
of Minnesota, 7-2. Lawrence then lost in the finals to Eric Larkin
of Arizona State, the eventual Hodge Trophy winner. Jantzen also
wrestled back to gain third place.
This
was the year that he would not be denied. He was seeded first
at 149 at the 2004 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, held
March 18-20 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. And
he had finished the regular season with a record of 34-1. Jantzen's
sole loss was when he wrestled up a weight, at 157 pounds at
the 2003 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 5-6. There he
made it to the semifinals, where he faced Alex Tirapelle of Illinois,
last season's 157-pound runner-up and then undefeated at that
weight. Tirapelle won, 11-4. Jantzen then had to settle for third
by beating Missouri's Kenny Burleson, 6-4. Burleson would later
become an All-American this year, finishing seventh at 157.
Jantzen
recorded a list of firsts by his accomplishments even before
he wrestled in the NCAA finals this year: first Ivy League wrestler
to become a three-time All-American, first Harvard wrestler to
win three EIWA titles, first Harvard wrestler to qualify for
four NCAA national tournaments, and first Harvard wrestler to
make it to the NCAA finals since John Harkness won the 175-pound
class back in 1938.
All
this history was quite nice, but there was still that crowning
achievement, that NCAA title, that had eluded him. And this was
his last chance.
Jantzen
opened this tournament decisively. In the first round, he scored
a 15-0 tech fall over Dan Jankowski of Purdue. Next he topped
Patrick Williams of Arizona State, 13-6. In the quarterfinals,
in a rare all-Ivy League matchup, Jantzen faced the underrated
and unseeded David Dies of Brown, who had knocked off Iowa's
ninth-seeded Ty Eustice, 6-5, and Penn State's eighth-seeded
Matt Storniolo, 8-3, to advance to the quarters.
Jantzen
had met Dies twice before this season, and all within a month.
In a dual meet on Feb. 21, Jantzen had a close call with Dies,
but managed to emerge with a win, 6-5. They had a rematch in
the finals of the 2004 EIWA's. This time Jantzen dominated, scoring
two takedowns and getting riding time to win, 5-2. In another
show of consistency, Jantzen again downed Dies by a 5-2 margin
in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Next
up in the semis was fourth-seeded Ryan Churella of Michigan,
this year's Big Ten 149-pound champion. Harvard doesn't wrestle
too many dual meets with Big Ten teams during the year, and had
a tough enough time with the EIWA, in whose conference championships
they only finished seventh out of 13 teams. But Harvard did gallantly
wrestle at the 2004 Lone Star Duals on January 3, 2004, at the
Warrior Coliseum in Grand Prairie, Texas. There Harvard wrestled
four meets and lost four meets, to Utah Valley State, Northern
Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the latter being by a 43-6
rout. In that one, Harvard won only one match: at 149, Jesse
Jantzen pinned Ryan Churella in 4:35.
The
Jantzen-Churella rematch almost again ended in a pinfall by the
Harvard senior. Churella came out aggressively and hit a takedown
first, but was quickly reversed by Jantzen, to make it 2-2. Jantzen
then exhibited his superior matwork by tilting Churella for a
nearfall, and later almost pinning him, all in the first period.
That made it 9-2, and Jantzen never looked back. The final score
was 11-4 for Jantzen.
Now
in the NCAA finals for the first time in what would be his final
collegiate match, Jantzen was facing Big 12 149-pound champ and
number two seed Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. The Cowboys
had clinched the team title the night before, and Esposito was
the first of three Oklahoma State wrestlers in the finals. While
Jantzen had a small but loyal group of Harvard faithful, friends,
family, and teammates cheering for him in the stands (plus some
Iowa fans, of course), they were no match for the large, orange-clad
sections of Oklahoma State fans who had traveled together to
witness their team take their 32nd overall national title.
But
Jantzen seemed cool and calm. He is known to like to start his
matches quickly, and that is exactly what he did. Just 13 seconds
into the first period, Jantzen shot in and scored a takedown.
He rode Esposito hard, and then turned him to his back. As the
Oklahoma State fans sat in stunned silence, Jantzen scored three
more points for a nearfall to go up by a commanding 5-0 score.
(And for some inexplicable reason, the live ESPN2 telecast of
the NCAA finals missed this key series of events.)
Jantzen
added to his lead with an escape in the second period and a takedown
in the third. Esposito's only points came on a penalties on Jantzen
for locked hands and stalling, and a late escape. Jantzen also
got riding time, to win by a convincing 9-3 margin in the finals,
and notch his first NCAA championship. On top of all these triumphs,
Jantzen's dominating and exciting performance earned him the
NCAA tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award, as voted by the
coaches.
'I
am ecstatic,' said Jantzen at a media briefing right after the
finals. 'My family is here to be with me. Esposito is an amazing
opponent. I am happy and fortunate to win.' He continued, 'This
is incredible for me. It's a relief. It's been a goal since my
freshman year. I fell short then, and I took third twice.'
One
of the many people Jantzen cited as instrumental in his success
was former Harvard All-American wrestler and assistant coach
Andy McNerney, who is also Jantzen's neighbor and helped recruit
him there. 'Andy is a close family friend,' said Jantzen. 'He
worked with me since I was young. He guided me since elementary
school through college. He's been a big difference.'
As
to the finals match, Jantzen explained his successful game plan:
'I was feeling pretty good any time you get a first takedown
on someone who is good on his feet like Esposito, is a good way
to start the match and that was huge. If I can get that early
takedown, I'm real comfortable.'
But
that did not mean that Jantzen was becoming reckless. 'I was
being a little cautious at the end,' he admitted. 'I felt I was
in a good position to win. I had a good lead but at this level
and a guy like Esposito is dangerous. He is good at big point
moves. You are never really comfortable, because he can score
or put you on your back at any time.'
Jantzen
also commented on his own strength. 'I weight train hard,' he
said,' and I know everyone in the weight class does as well.
They are all real strong opponents. I put a lot of emphasis on
it, and wrestling takes a lot of different things with running,
conditioning, wrestling, lifting weights. I think I'm pretty
strong for the weight class.' Years ago wrestlers were told not
to do any weight training lest they get musclebound, a tired
misconception which Jantzen obviously did not heed.
As
to attending Harvard, he affirmed, 'I'm real happy with that
decision. It was the best choice. I love the coaching staff.
We are close. The academics there will give me a chance for a
great job. We are an up and coming program.'
He
added, 'The Ivy Leagues are up and coming. It's not so out of
the ordinary anymore' for an Ivy Leaguer to win an NCAA title,
he said, referring to last year's win by Cornell's Travis Lee.
'And I think that is going to continue with the recruits they're
getting in.'
As
to his own future, he does have some things figured out, but
not all. 'Immediately, I think I want to continue wrestling,
train for freestyle, and maybe coach, go to grad school,' he
said after the media conference. That means we should expect
him at the 2004 U.S. Nationals, April 9-10, in Las Vegas. And
as an NCAA champion, he has a spot already waiting for him at
the 2004 Olympic Wrestling Trials, May 21-23 in Indianapolis.
But
where exactly he will be going to grad school and living has
not yet been decided. 'No, not yet,' he replied when asked if
he had chosen his post-Harvard undergrad location. 'That's going
to be something I'm going to figure out in the next couple of
weeks,' he added.
Wherever
he ends up, we have not seen the last of Jesse Jantzen on the
mat. But like so many college wrestling champions, he is going
to have to adjust his style considerably to freestyle.
Jantzen
made it to the quarterfinals of the 2003 U.S. Nationals at 145.5
lbs./66 kg after winning his first three matches. Then the difference
between the level of wrestling in the NCAA and the U.S. senior
freestyle circuit became obvious. In the quarters, Jantzen lost
by a 13-1 tech fall to U.S. World Team member Chris Bono. And
in the consolation bracket, Jantzen again lost, this time to
Doug Schwab, 9-0, and thus did not place. Jantzen also did not
wrestle in the 2003 World Team Trials.
If
he stays at that weight in freestyle this year, he may end up
facing somewhere along the line one of his Harvard coaches, Jared
Frayer. The most recent TheMat.com U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings,
dated Jan. 12, 2004, also show this to be one of the most competitive
and deepest weight classes in the U.S. Last year's World Team
Trials winner, Jamill Kelly, is ranked number one. He is followed
by Chris Bono, Bill Zadick, Doug Schwab, Jared Frayer, and Eric
Larkin. Jantzen has yet to crack the top ten, and may have a
tough time with all these young and talented wrestlers ahead
of him.
But
Jesse Jantzen is also no newcomer to freestyle. He finished a
surprising third back at the 2001 U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling
Championships at 152 lbs./69 kg. Then he was third at the 2001
University National Freestyle Championships, but did not place
at the 2001 FILA Junior World Team Trials, also at 152 lbs./69
kg. He also did finish fourth at the Challenge Tournament and
sixth overall at the 2002 World Team Trials, and was a two-time
Junior national champion.
While
earning a spot on the 2004 Olympic Team may be a real longshot,
Jantzen has to be considered a serious hopeful for 2008 and even
2012.
Now
he can focus all his energies to wrestling according to the rules
of freestyle, and mastering its techniques. He has the intelligence,
the strength, the conditioning, the determination, and the confidence
to succeed on this higher level, where he will face a roster
of fellow NCAA champions. Plus, he has the devotion and support
of his family to his wrestling career.
And
if he doesn't succeed at freestyle? Well, he is a sociology major
and will add to his slew of wrestling accomplishments a Harvard
degree. He was the guy just about everyone was talking about
in St. Louis. You get the impression that whatever Jesse Jantzen
decides to do in his post-NCAA wrestling years, there will still
be plenty of people talking about him.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"You will either step forward into growth or you will step
back into safety."
Abraham Maslow
|
'PASSING
THE GUARD' To Invade California!
Submitted by: Marcello Tetel
The
word at the present moment in Brazil is about the famous 'PASSING
THE GUARD', a television show centered around MMA that appears
to be set to debut in the US. The show will debut on KDOC station
in California on Saturday, April the 2nd, at midnight. After
a hard and long effort by 'Sinister Brand' and show host Jorge
Guimaraes. Guimarães said 'I am very excited with this
new project. Spreading the MMA word and increasing the information
level for the MMA comunity in the South Cali area is my goal'
states theMeca World Vale Tudo producer.
The
show is 30-minutes and has already been approved for 16 weeks
worth of episodes. The show will have a sports show format, though
the sport covered will be MMA events, interviews, MMA events
backstage footage and much more. The program already exists in
Brazil for the last six years on Sportv TV, and it is one of
the top rated on this Sport Channel. Syndication has already
been brought up as a long term possibility if ratings are strong
for the important Southern California TV market, covering San
Diego and Los Angeles.
Source: ADCC |
PRIDE
Heavyweight Grand Prix
Listed below are the names of the fighters who are signed, and
who are being considered for the opening round of the PRIDE Heavyweight
Grand Prix.
The
opening round will feature sixteen fighters, and is scheduled
for April 25th:
Officially
confirmed:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira
Mirko 'CroCop' Filipovic
Fedor Emelianenko
Igor Vovchanchyn
Heath Herring
Stefan Leko
Sergei Karitonov
Sylvester Terkay
Sentoryu aka Henry Miller
Hirotaka Yokoi
Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Unofficially
confirmed, and very strong possibilty:
Don Frye
Mark Coleman
Murilo 'Ninja' Rua
Quinton Jackson
Hidehiko Yoshida
Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Yoshihiro Takayama
Names
have been mentioned in the media, but do not expect them in the
GP:
Vanderlei Silva *
Yuki Kondo **
Royce Gracie
Dan Henderson
Tom Erikson
Hiromitsu Kanehara
Kiyoshi Tamura
*
Silva will most likely defend his light heavyweight belt against
Kondo, and only be in the GP in the event that Ninja cannot compete.
** Kondo only wants to face Silva in a single fight.
Source: Fight Sport |
Six
April 30th K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio II” Tournament
Fighters Announced
McDonald
and Eastman headline star-studded, single-elimination lineup
in Las Vegas
Six
of the eight tournament competitors have been named for Friday,
April 30th’s K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio II” mega-card
that will be staged at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bellagio Hotel
and Casino and air live on Pay-Per-View television.
The
martial arts fighters confirmed for the tournament that will
award its winner a place in a subsequent leg of competition later
in the year are as follows:
Michael
McDonald
Marvin Eastman
Stephan Gamlin
“Mighty Mo”
Dewey Cooper
Aziz Khattou
McDonald
has been regarded as a dominant player in the sport since he
earned two consecutive tournament victories in Las Vegas two
years ago and amassed a total record of 8-1 in North American
K-1 bouts between 2001 and 2002. Last May, he hit a rough spot
in his career when he was ousted in the opening round of the
eight-man K-1 USA elimination event by eventual champion, Carter
Williams. McDonald displayed resilience, however, when he reached
the championship round of the K-1 “Battle Of The Bellagio”
eight-man tournament three months later and when he scored a
knockout over Japanese fighter Hiromi Amada on the K-1 New Year’s
Eve card in Japan.
Eastman,
who sports a 10-1 (4 KO’s) record in professional kickboxing,
has won over audiences throughout the martial arts fight world
during the last few years with his explosive and fearless style
of fighting. Two years ago, he stopped a heavily favored Jeff
“Duke” Roufus during a Las Vegas K-1 Superfight by
surprising the four-time world Muay Thai champion with a flying
straight knee blast that sent Roufus down for the 10 count only
seconds into the third round of their matchup. Since then, Eastman
has ventured outside of K-1 and has reeled off wins against numerous
world-class opponents, including Vernon White and Alex Stiebling.
Gamlin
and the fighter who prefers to be known only as “Mighty
Mo” will each make their North American K-1 debuts. At 6
feet 6 inches tall and a whopping 325 pounds, Gamlin is the latest
giant to cross over from another professional sport to martial
arts fighting’s most prestigious promotion. A former NFL
Europe defensive tackle, the big man is also an undefeated professional
boxer. The 6-foot, 280-pound Mighty Mo joined the ranks of K-1
earlier this year with a 20-18-2 (16 KO’s) professional
boxing record under his belt. In what was only his first start
under K-1 rules last month, he stunned spectators by taking out
21-year-old Japanese K-1 prospect, Hiraku Hori. After dropping
Hori twice with kicks, he sealed a knockout victory in the fourth
round by flooring the Japanese fighter with a left hook.
The
6-foot, 210-pound Cooper, otherwise known as “The Black
Kobra,” will return to Las Vegas K-1 tournament action for
the third year in a row. In 2002, he picked up his first victory
in tournament competition by outpointing six-time kickboxing
champion, Jean Claude Leuyer, a fighter who outweighed Cooper
by 33 pounds. Last August, he returned and put on what was arguably
the best show of the evening at the inaugural Battle At The Bellagio
card. Opposite Carter Williams in a three-round Superfight, Cooper
was the busier and the more aggressive of the two fighters before
he was declared the loser of a controversial judges’ decision.
Cooper boasts a perfect record of 10-0-2 (7 KO’s) as well
as a spectacular record of 27-6 (17 KO’s) in professional
martial arts fighting.
Khattou
is an established K-1 veteran who has done the majority of his
fighting in Japan and in Europe. Last August, though, the Belgium
native made his way to The United States for the first time and
outclassed Mexico’s Raul Romero during the quarterfinal
round of K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” tournament competition.
On Saturday, March 27th, Khattou returned to action in Saitama,
Japan where he faced former International Boxing Federation (IBF)
World Heavyweight Champion, Francois Botha. Khattou dropped the
world-class boxer in the opening round with a straight punch
and maintained enough poise throughout the remainder of the fight
to earn a majority judges’ decision victory over Botha.
The
remaining two spots in the April 30th tournament are expected
to be filled and announced shortly. Additionally, the promotion
will announce for the Las Vegas event a handful of single Superfights
between top-rated professional fighters.
K-1
is a martial arts combat sport that derives its name from its
inclusion of a wide array of martial arts disciplines, including
Karate, Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent
to determine one champion in one ring (“1”). After
being staged for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction
of founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the
country’s most popular sport and achieved popular culture
status there as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.
Source: Mike Afromowitz
|
UFC
47 INTERVIEW: WHO IS MIKE KYLE?
His
task at UFC 47 on April 2nd is a pretty tough one, maybe impossible,
to knock out the man called Cabbage. At 6'4" and 240 pounds,
Mike Kyle is no small man, but he'll be giving up nearly 25 pounds
to Cabbage when they enter the Octagon.
With
a new team, American Kickboxing Academy, and under the tutelage
of Javier Mendez and Josh Thomson, Kyle feels that he is more
than prepared and is in the best shape of his life as he prepares
to make his debut in the Octagon. He joined Ryan Bennett on SoundOff
Radio at MMAWeekly.com to discuss all of that and more.
Ryan
Bennett: Mike, how you doing bud?
Mike
Kyle: Good, how's it going?
Ryan:
I'm good. We just had Cabbage on here at MMAWeekly, he was talking
about your size and your strength. Cabbage says he's training
3 times a day. He says he's getting ready for you man, are you
ready for him?
Mike:
Of course. I think for the first time in my career, I've dedicated
myself to training full time. Doing the things I'm supposed to
be doing; as far as, running and training 2 times a day, getting
one on one work with Javier Mendez. I've come a long ways.
Ryan:
Yeah, Mike. A lot of our fans around the country and around the
world haven't had the opportunity to see you fight. Talk a little
bit about your background, tell us how you got started in MMA.
Mike:
I trained a little bit through college, I had a couple of fights,
but playing college football, I never really had time to train.
I was fighting under Primal Tribe, a club up in Boise, Idaho.
I ended up fighting one of our [Team AKA] guys, Paul Buentello,
and I did well against him, dominated the fight in King of the
Cage, but ended up losing the fight. Javier and these guys thought
I was marketable and asked if I wanted to make the move to California.
So, I've been here for over a year.
Ryan:
What did you play in football?
Mike:
Defensive end, fullback. I played fullback the last year.
Ryan:
For who?
Mike:
For East Oregon. Coming out of high school, I played up in Chico
for a little while and then transferred up to East Oregon.
Ryan:
Man, you played fullback? I can't imagine you coming out of the
backfield.
Mike:
I was heavy. I was 265 then too.
Ryan:
What do you weigh right now?
Mike:
I'm right around 240, 238.
Ryan:
Haven't you been fighting at about 245?
Mike:
Yeah. Always. This is the lightest I've been since I was 18.
Ryan:
They're kicking your butt, aren't they?
Mike:
Definitely.
Ryan:
You're about 238 right now, you'll probably weigh about 235 for
fight time or a little more?
Mike:
Maybe a couple of pounds more considering I won't be doing the
sprints all week up there. I'll have to go on my elliptical to
keep my cardio up. Hopefully I'll be able to do some light rolling
up there with big Eric Pele. Other than that though, I think
I'll probably put a couple of pounds on.
Ryan:
Is 234 too light for a guy that weighs 265?
Mike:
I really don't think so. I've kept a lot of my strength. I'm
not going to go out and waste a lot of my energy, I know that.
I've watched him fight before, I know he's a heavy guy. I know
he's got a freakin' noggin' on him. I'm not going to waste a
lot of energy, it's 3 rounds and I plan on it going 3 rounds
and taking it to a decision.
Ryan:
It's interesting to hear you say you're ready to go 3 rounds.
I've seen a couple of your fights where you knocked guys out
in like 12 seconds. You're a knockout artist man, this is a different
scenario for you. Give me your strategy going in to this fight.
Mike:
I'm going to do what he likes to do. I'm going to fight. I'm
going to stand up and I'm going to throw with him. He expects
me to throw with him. I hope he wants to throw, too, because
that's what it's all about. I know he's an entertainer. He's
not afraid of no one, he really don't care, win or lose. That's
why he does so good. I'm going to stick to it and scrap with
him. My buddy Justin Eilers from the Miletich camp; basically,
I have the same strategy as him, use my speed, quickness, and
who knows what happens. Hopefully, I come out on top.
Ryan:
What did Eilers do that was so successful in the fight against
Cabbage?
Mike:
Like I said, he used his speed, threw his 1-2 combo. The only
downside to that fight, everybody thought [Justin] won, is you
have to give Cabbage that first round. He knocked Justin down
with 20 seconds left with the body shot and spent the rest of
the round in the mount. That's the only reason that anyone believes
Cabbage won that fight. He got the Hawaiian crowd going. Wow!
Not to knock him, he's a cool guy. I can't wait until after the
fight, we'll have a good time. As of now, shoot, I got to go
knock his head off.
Ryan:
What would be the ultimate scenario for Mike Kyle against Cabbage
in the Octagon?
Mike:
To go in there... I wouldn't say to knock him out, I know that's
what you want to here, but go in there and fight the perfect
fight.
Ryan:
You're a pretty young fighter. How many fights do you have under
your belt now?
Mike:
I believe I'm 10-2.
Ryan:
First time in the Octagon, it's different for each guy. What
do you expect? How nervous are you going to be?
Mike:
People always love to ask me that. I'm one of those guys that
you watch me back stage and I don't care. It never really hits
me until right before I get to the cage. I'm never nervous. It
never hits me until right when I'm getting in the cage. Then
it's like, "Oh, wow!" There ain't nothing like it in
the world.
Ryan:
With that said, are you worried about, say, the first 2 minutes
of the fight?
Mike:
Well, there's always one punch or, actually you know what, normally
it's just, we'll see. It's just someone throws the first punch,
it's just all reaction after that. But you're always wondering
how the guy is going to come out. If they come out swinging and
trying to brawl, okay. I love those guys. It always worries you
when your guy sits back and now I'm busy trying to think. Shoot,
I love a guy that comes brawling at me.
Ryan:
Mike, you mention your camp, you've got a great camp, American
Kickboxing Academy. You've got Javier, Frank Shamrock, "Crazy"
Bob Cook, Josh Thomson, Richard Crunkilton, Paul Buentello. Do
you ever really pick their brain, especially a guy like Josh
Thomson who's been in the UFC, as far as, what to expect your
first time in the UFC?
Mike:
Exactly. Josh, man, after his fight, he's been pushing me man.
He has my butt up, 3 days a week he has me running at the track.
I'm running like a damn track star. I'm not going to give you
all the secrets, but there's nothing like it. Like I said, I'm
down to 235, 238. In great shape, great cardio. My recovery time
is 30 seconds.
Doing
6 minute, 7 minute rounds, no problem. I'm doing great, I give
him lots of props for taking the time to help me. Like I said,
I've got some great sponsors out there. Get all you guys to go
to
freakfight.com, bodybuilding.com back in Boise, Gold's. It's
great man. Lot's of great guys supporting me that I don't want
to let down.
Ryan:
I know Frank's been doing the movie thing. Have you seen Frank
Shamrock much at all? What does he tell you?
Mike:
That's all for you guys to look forward to. I can't tell you.
He did just get done shooting the movie though, there's a few
MMA guys in there.
Ryan:
Who's going to be in your corner for this fight?
Mike:
You're going to see old Javier Mendez cornering me. That's going
to be exciting, I know he hasn't been out to corner for a while.
He'll be there, Bob Cook, Steve Camarillo, and I believe Josh,
as well.
Ryan:
I look forward to it. Mike, I wish you nothing but the best.
I like both you guys, you and Cabbage. I can't wait for this
fight.
Mike:
Yeah, it'll be a good time, we're ready to rock 'n roll and punch
the shit out of each other.
Ryan:
We'll see you Vegas.
Mike:
Have a good one.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GRAND
PRIX TICKET SALES AND DATES
“TOTAL
ELIMINATION 2004” is part 1 of a 3 part tournament consisting
of 16 heavyweights.
PART
1 TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004 April 25th, 2004 (opening round)
PART
2 CRITICAL COUNTDOWN 2004 June 20th, 2004 (second round)
PART
3 FINAL CONFLICT 2004 August 15th, 2004 (semi-finals and finals)
Tickets
for TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004, to be held at the Saitama Super Arena,
go on sale 3/14/04
Ticket
Prices:
VIP:
100,000 JPY ($US 900)
RRS: 30,000 JPY ($US 270)
Stand S: 17,000 JPY ($US 150)
Stand A: 7,000 JPY ($US 64)
For
event ticket inquiries or to make travel arrangements, contact:
IACE
Travel in Los Angeles
310-445-1401 or 888-393-4223
wla@iace-usa.com
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
47: It's On! Betting Odds
These are the UFC 47 odds from Olympic Sports as of 4/28/03 8pm.
For up to date betting odds, head over to Olympic Sports and
click on the "Other Sports" and "Boxing"
link.
-
Tito Ortiz -185
- Chuck Liddell +145
-
Tim Sylvia -210
- Andrei Arlovski +170
-
Wesley Correira -600
- Mike Kyle +400
-
Jonathan Wiezorek -200
- Wade Shipp +160
-
Robbie Lawler -300
- Nick Diaz +240
-
Chris Lytle -245
- Tiki Ghosen +185
-
Yves Edwards +105
- Hermes Franca -145
-
Mike Brown +220
- Genki Sudo -300
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White
By Traci Ratzloff
The man of UFC
Recently,
one of the most sought after professionals in MMA, the man who
seems untouchable to many, Dana White, sat down with TATAME's
American representative, Traci Ratzloff, to share his ideas on
the role Brazilians play in the ultimate fighting world and more.
President of the UFC since owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank
Fertitta took ownership in January of 2001, White has helped
to shape the Zuffa project into what many consider the "Superbowl"
of MMA-only, to our relief the UFC is not once a year! With no
hesitation, White passionately speaks about the UFC.
What
is your history with MMA? When and how did your interest begin?
We
became involved with MMA 4 ½ years ago. My background
was boxing. I used to represent boxers, and I still, to this
day, own two boxing gyms here in Vegas. 4 ½ yrs. Ago,
Frank Fertitta and I were at the Hard Rock (in Vegas) and saw
Kimo and John Lewis-Frank said, "I always wanted to learn
submissions and try that (MMA)." I agreed. We decided to
approach them, and eventually we began taking private lessons
with John Lewis- Lorenzo (Fertitta) did too. Once we began training,
we fell in love with the sport. Our eyes were opened, and we
saw how much skill was involved. Later, we met Chuck (Liddell)
and Tito (Ortiz). Chuck was having trouble getting into the UFC
and Tito was having contract disputes. We went into negotiations
with Bob Meyrowitz (former UFC owner) over Tito's contract-for
a year! I heard one day he was interested in investors for the
UFC-Fertitta and I contacted him.
What
is the meaning of Zuffa?
"Zuffa"
in Italian means "to fight." Zuffa is the name of the
parent company of the UFC.
Is
there any real chance of launching a show with the champions
of the UFC and Pride fighting against one another?
The
idea of it is dynamite, but logistically, working out the business
details would be a nightmare. For example, where would it be
located? Would they fight in an octagon or a cage? Who gets the
gate? PPV sales? Etc.
Are
you considering changing some of the UFC rules? Which ones and
why?
No,
I can't change the rules; that's up to athletic commission.
If
you could, what rules would you change?
I
think as people become more educated in the sport, I'd like to
see knees to head on ground. It's a great way to defend, for
example, when a wrestler sprawls.
Rudimar
Fedrigo (from Chute Boxe) told TATAME he would like to have a
Chute Boxe fighter debut in the UFC this year. Is that deal going
on? Which fighter could this be?
He's
a nice guy. I've talked to him a few times, but we haven't talked
about anyone specific.
Why
didn't the UFC reach a deal with Murilo Bustamante?
We
gave him a phenomenal offer, and he declined.
In
1997, there was a UFC in Brazil, which had great success. When
will there be another Brazilian edition of the most traditional
MMA show in the world?
We've
been talking about it. Vitor Belfort has been pushing me really
hard on it.
When
and with whom will be the next Belfort fight?
Vitor
versus Couture. It's going to happen at end of summer, though
we have no specific date yet. The winner of that fight will go
on to fight the winner of the Liddell and Ortiz fight.
Is
there any Brazilian fighter you would like to have fighting in
your show?
Pedro
Hizzo. Personally, I have a very good relationship with him.
I have a lot of respect for him as a fighter and a person. [Recently],
we really haven't talked (about having him fight in the UFC).
I had constructed a contract with him back in the day, but things
didn't work out. I like him very much professionally and personally.
If there is one fighter I don't have on my roster that I want,
it is him.
How
are your dealings with Royce Gracie?
I
have talked many times with him, but just never got anywhere.
How
do you see the Brazilian contribution to the MMA world?
That's
really where it all started. The Gracie family was very instrumental
in the first UFC and in creating the UFC [altogether]. I see
the UFC as the industry leader. The Brazilians have sort of forged
the way for MMA in the United States and around the world.
Source:
Tatame
|
BOXINGTIME
EXCLUSIVE: “IRISH” MICKY WARD
By: Andrew Brown
BoxingTime.com
was fortunate enough to score an interview with one of the toughest
guys the sport of boxing has ever seen. Three years in a row,
Micky Ward has fought in the “Fight Of The Year.” Keep
reading to find out what Micky has to say about that feat, retirement,
his movie, Arturo Gatti and much more!
BoxingTime:
Hey Micky, how are you keeping busy these days?
Ward:
I’m actually not doing too much. I’m training my nephew
and a couple of other guys, pretty much just training a bunch
of kids. I also train Jeff Frazier, he’s a New England junior
welterweight champ. I’m just training for now.
BoxingTime:
Do these kids have a bright future?
Ward:
Well, this kid Jeff has got a good future in front of him, but
these kids are just amateurs so you got to go slow with it. No
rush at all.
BoxingTime:
Are you still in the construction business?
Ward:
I haven‘t gone back yet. The season hasn’t started
yet for paving, so I think I’ll just weigh my options and
do whatever’s best. I’ll just go like that, I haven’t
really decided yet.
BoxingTime:
Do you feel you made enough money in boxing so that you won’t
have to go back?
Ward:
No, no, I’m going to go back. Either way I’ll go back
to doing something, but what that is I’m not 100 percent
sure yet.
BoxingTime:
I keep hearing that we are going to see a movie about you. Can
you tell us about it?
Ward:
Yeah, there’s supposed to be! I’m not really sure,
but I think they’re going to be getting together pretty
soon on that thing.
BoxingTime:
Will you be a part of it?
Ward:
I’ve been hearing Mark Wahlberg might play me and Donnie
(Wahlberg) might play my brother Dickie, so if we need to spend
time with them working on that or other stuff I’ll help
out. I just haven’t really gotten into it that much, you
know?
BoxingTime:
I have also heard you have had some pretty big offers to get
back in the ring. Is that true?
Ward:
Actually, no one has ever come to me with anything asking if
I want to fight. I’ve heard things, but I ain’t coming
back. I heard someone was going to offer me a million dollars,
but I don’t care how much money they offer me, I’m
not coming back. I’ve done all I can do and that’s
it.
BoxingTime:
The last three years, according to the Ring Magazine, you have
fought in the fight of the year. How proud does that make you?
Ward:
Oh man, real proud! Especially at the end of my career. I know
Arturo’s won it a bunch of times, four I think, but I don’t
think anyone had won it three times in a row.
BoxingTime:
Not to mention you won two of those fights. (Burton and Gatti
1)
Ward:
(laughing) Yeah, I know.
BoxingTime:
Where do you think you would be right now if you had never fought
Gatti? Would you still be fighting?
Ward:
No, no way. I would be finished with that for sure.
BoxingTime:
So you had plans even before the Gatti fight to call it a day?
Ward:
Well, I was at the age where I wasn’t going to fool myself,
or think I’m something that I wasn’t. I would never
think I could do something that physically you can’t do
when you get older. I was going to be done.
BoxingTime:
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment in the ring?
Ward:
To be honest with you, it was just the fact that I gave my all
every time I fought, and that’s the biggest thing I can
say. When I fought, I gave it my all, I never cut corners, I
trained hard and did the right thing, and whatever happened,
happened.
BoxingTime:
Many fans are curious - how are you doing these days mentally
and physically?
Ward:
Well, my eye is messed up. My right eye is still screwed up from
getting hit. The muscle in my eye, whatever it is, I don’t
know if I pulled it or stretched it but I did something. I still
have the double vision in my eye, but other than that things
are pretty good.
BoxingTime:
Will you be having surgery on that eye?
Ward:
Yeah, probably.
BoxingTime:
Are you confident they will fix it?
Ward:
Yeah, they’ll be able to fix it, they just want to wait
to see if nature will take it’s course. Before they operate,
they want to see if it will heal on its own.
BoxingTime:
Do you ever worry about the amount of shots you took throughout
your career catching up to you one day?
Ward:
Yeah, I do, and that’s a big reason I got out when I did.
Everything is fine for now, but yeah I do worry about it.
BoxingTime:
Who is the best fighter you ever fought?
Ward:
Man, that’s tough. Arturo was, without a doubt, the toughest,
but Zab Judah was probably all around the best fighter. But I
don’t know, I’m telling you, Arturo was one hell of
a fighter.
BoxingTime:
So who do you think would win a Gatti/Judah fight?
Ward:
Oh man, that would be tough. I don’t know, I can’t
tell ya. That would be one hell of a fight.
BoxingTime:
Do you have any regrets?
Ward:
No, you know some things happened that I didn’t like, but
I don’t regret anything. I just did what I could do and
that was it.
BoxingTime:
When you see guys that have much more talent than you come into
a fight out of shape, lazy and un-motivated, does that get under
your skin?
Ward:
That pisses me off, really it does. You know, they dog it or
something. They got all this talent, and they come out like that,
I just can’t understand it. It makes me pissed off. I worked
for every ounce of whatever I got, it’s not really fair
- but what are you gonna do? I don’t envy anyone, and god
bless them. If they can make money all the power to them.
BoxingTime:
Micky, where does that huge heart come from?
Ward:
I don’t know (laughing), I still don’t know. I think
we all have the same sized heart, but my will is big. Everyone’s
heart is the same, obviously, but I just think it’s my will
that keeps me going. It’s just the will to win, and do the
best I can. That’s it.
BoxingTime:
Do you ever watch some of your fights and just wonder how you
were able to keep going?
Ward:
Yeah, I do now! You know, I never really did before but I do
now. Whenever I think about coming back I just look at one of
those tapes and say no way.
BoxingTime:
Round nine of the Gatti fight is considered by many fight fans
as the best round they have ever seen, period. Can you go back
to that round and tell us what it was like to be a part of it?
Ward:
Oh man, it’s a blur now. Well not a blur, but it was crazy.
You know, it just happened. I dropped him, he came back, and
then I came back - man, it was wild. Believe me, I wouldn’t
want to do it again.
BoxingTime:
I still can’t believe that after 30 rounds, you and Gatti
are still great friends. Do you guys still keep close contact?
Ward:
Yeah, I talk to him once every two weeks or so. I’m going
to be running the Boston Marathon, and I think he’ll come
down for that. As if I didn’t torture myself enough in boxing,
now I got to get ready for a marathon.
BoxingTime:
When will you be running that?
Ward:
April 19th. So I’m just getting ready, running all the time.
Arturo will come down and see me for that, I look forward to
it.
BoxingTime:
Do you feel that Gatti is still the same fighter that he was
before you went to war?
Ward:
I don’t know. He seemed to be when he fought, but who knows?
Only time can tell what I took out of him.
BoxingTime:
Do you think he looked a little faded against Branco?
Ward:
Well, maybe it was because the guy gave him a little different
look then I did. He’s used to me standing right there, you
know what I mean? I didn’t really see much, but time will
tell. I really hope not, but I don’t know. Do you think
he looked the same?
BoxingTime:
To be honest, I don’t think he looked quite as sharp. Do
you think there is a chance that because this guy was coming
in from Europe that Gatti took him lightly?
Ward:
No way. I don’t think Buddy (McGirt) would ever let that
happen. I just think it came down to styles, and I think that
style was a little hard to adapt to. Not to mention that Branco
was a hell of a lot better then most thought he was. You have
to take that into consideration, the guy was undefeated and he
came to win the title.
BoxingTime:
In boxing, you were more popular than most of the world champs.
Is that consolation for the fact you were never the champion?
Ward:
Well, I had the WBU, but that ain’t nothing. Well I don’t
mean it’s not anything, but it’s a small title. Really,
I don’t care whether I was a champ or not. I gave my all,
and that’s all I can ask for. It really didn’t bother
me not winning the title.
BoxingTime:
Thanks so much Micky, and I speak for all boxing fans when I
say you were a credit to the sport, and a true fan favourite.
Ward:
No problem at all. Anytime.
Source:
Boxing Time |
Interview:
RICH CLEMENTI (Part 2)
Submitted by: Keith Mills
In
part one of this catch-up Rich described his most recent fight,
a second round triangle choke over Sergei Goliaev in Euphoria
MFC’s Russia vs. the USA. Now we wrap up all the loose ends.
KM:
Aren’t you from New Jersey? RC: Yes. I’m actually up
here now spending a week holiday visiting my family and stuff
like that.
KM:
For the MFC show do you have any objection if I project you as
a local fighter? RC: Yeah, that is fine. I’m living in New
Orleans right now but like you said from the east part of New
Jersey.
KM:
I believe that perception would make you the only local hero.
Did that make you feel any differently than your other fights?
RC: No. I actually like fighting away. For some reason when I’m
fighting at home lately a lot of my guys are on the card. Not
that I don’t like that and stuff, it’s just so much
added pressure. I love fighting in front of my home fans and
stuff but to be honest it just got to the point I just have to
worry about myself and my own agenda.
KM:
As far as putting this fight in the context of your other fights
arguably the highlight to your career so far has been being a
finalist in the finals of the ZST tournament. How do you feel
this fight fits in with the rest of your career? RC: I’m
just trying to get a little bit well-known. Let people from different
areas see me. A lot of people, they have guys from the Mid-West
and everybody from the Mid-West knows them but they don’t
know them down South. UFC I thought would be that shot I really
needed. I really didn’t get to perform the way I would have
liked in the UFC. I felt this was a different way to let some
new people see me. This is the fist time (matchmaker) Miguel
got a chance to watch me fight in person and people in Jersey.
I just want to be known in all aspects of the sport like Russia
or wherever. I want to go over to Russia and fight whoever they
have. I want to stay busy in Japan. A lot of guys at Lightweight
aren’t really doing that right now so I feel very fortunate
to stay busy and put me in demand in different locations. That
is one thing I told (manager) Monte; I’m going to stand
with these guys because I want to go fight over in Russia. If
I go and just take this guy down and beat him…I promote
shows myself and if I see that from a guy I’m not going
to want to pay him x amount of dollars to come over here and
fight on my card when I have a striker to match him up with.
I want a guy who wants to stand up. As promoter that is the type
of guy you want.
KM:
Your fight in the UFC, wasn’t that also on a short notice?
(Note: vs Yves Edwards 2/28/03) RC: No, not really. It was about
a month and a half.
KM:
So how do you look back at that experience? RC: It was a learning
experience because it was the first southpaw I ever fought that
was good. It was a lot different for me. I usually do really
well against conventional guys, I had a hard time with (Goliaev)
but I do really well. Yves was the first southpaw, great clinch,
tough defense…it was a tough fight for me but at the same
time a lot of the Japanese guys since I’ve been fighting
over in ZST, every one of them was southpaw. Yves really made
me realize I had a weakness, I’ve been practicing, and it
really showed in Japan because I was really beating some of those
southpaws up.
KM:
To what degree was the Goliaev fight a redemption over those
who have only seen the Yves fight? RC: Still to the point I don’t
think so because this guy was really good too. I think a lot
of the entry level fighters and a lot of the fans don’t
understand the caliber of some of these guys. The think ‘this
guy is a standup guy’. They don’t understand how good
these guys are in the sport at what they do now. You really have
to respect how far the sport has developed and hopefully that
will come around to the fans and stuff. I think when that happens
that is when I think people will realize ‘even if this guy
doesn’t do well in this fight I’m still a fan’.
That is what it will come down to; people are so good, people
are going to win on a given day, people are going to lose on
a given day, it’ll be more about what kind of fighter they
like and how their fighter fights.
KM:
For those who haven’t seen you fight is the Yves fight or
the ZST fight or this Goliaev fight what you would want to put
on a highlight reel? RC: I think this last fight is really what
I am all about. I like to scrap, I like to fight, and the more
my opponent brings it the more I’ll bring it win or lose.
Even if I would have lost to me it would have been a good fight.
I gave it my all, my opponent brought it, I brought it, and those
are the fights I like. Especially in ZST, me and Kotani first
round it was a classic battle because I don’t think either
one of us took a step backward the whole time. It was literally
just beat up, close submissions, and that is what I like.
KM:
Up until the time the UFC suspended it’s Lightweight belt
or put it on hiatus Jens Pulver was considered the best striker
at 155. The rest of the 155s were ground-based fighters like
B.J. Penn or Matt Serra. Now with Yves in the UFC, the Extreme
Challenge/SuperBrawl Lightweight tournament series, and even
you and Aurelio it seems we are seeing a new dawn of the 155s
or something pretentious like that. RC: I tell ya, not just because
I’m in it but I think the 155 division is as hot a division
as you can get. It’s almost twenty people deep that can
beat each other on a given day, really depending on matchups.
Not so much can the number three guy beat the number two guy
but if so-and-so is good at this he can beat the number two guy
while the number three guy can’t even come close to beating
the number two guy because of matchups. I just think it’s
stacked, it’s great…I respect every other 155 pounder
out there on that mark. I watch every one of them and I learn.
It’s great. My thing is I’m not in a situation where
I have to hold out for the biggest dollar or I’m looking
for that one shot. I’m looking to get my name out there
and fight in a lot of different places and enjoy it. I’m
pretty fortunate I’m in a situation like that.
KM:
Let me clarify your relationship to Team Extreme. You are manage
by Monte Cox but normally train out of New Orleans? RC: Slidell
actually. It’s thirty minutes east of New Orleans.
KM:
Do you get a chance to go anywhere else to train for a fight?
RC: Sometimes. When I was training for ZST a buddy of mine Jorge
Gurgel who is also managed by Monte and an up=and-coming 155
pounder…I went up there and trained and helped get him ready
for Imanari and trained with Rich Franklin and stuff. They also
come down and train with me. Sometimes people passing through
New Orleans. It’s pretty tough because I’m pretty heavily
into promotion now too.
KM:
Tell me about the show you put on. RF: Reality Combat. Louisiana/Mississippi
area. It’s actually a company Karl Schmidt…I don’t
know if you remember him or not. He used to be pretty heavily
into the scene, ranked top ten for a while, pretty good 170 pounder.
He used to own it, moved with the military so I just recently
purchased it with a partner of mine Jim Cunningham about a year
ago. We put on a few shows, more grass roots, but we’re
looking at expanding this year and do some new things so I’m
really excited about that.
KM:
Was that the show Brittany Spears’ short-lived husband….
RC: (Laughs). No, I have another company I do called Whup Ass
Wednesdays. Basically it’s a weekly amateur show I run for
a few months at a time. I do it in different locations. Basically
all it is is amateur boxing, amateur submission wrestling, and
amateur kickboxing. Really what I do is I need that show to scout
talent because I’m really in an area where it’s not
a big city, we don’t have a huge school to draw people.
I actually found quite a few of the guys I manage and stuff through
that little show. It’s a great way to find grass-root type
fighters and get people interested in the show.
KM:
But those are two distinctive shows. People shouldn’t confuse
the show that guy was on with your pro show. RC: No. Reality
Combat is a professional level amateur NHB show. The other show
is Whup Ass Wednesdays. I used to do Pancrase style rules there
but actually took it out because a lot of the guys were having
problems with the rules and not understanding the rules. I thought
it better to keep that to boxing and kickboxing. That is the
separation between the two.
KM:
I want to hear more about Reality Combat but you know I have
to ask what is your take on the whole Brittany’s husband
thing so we can lay that to rest. RC: He did a Pancrase match
against a guy he had wanted to fight. He actually was getting
ready to do it that night anyway so we let them do it in the
ring and the problem was he was throwing closed punches on the
ground. That is illegal. The fight was instantly stopped and
that is where that ended. The UFC actually flew him out to the
next event I heard. I’m like ‘I don’t even get
a plane ticket out there and you fly this chump?’ (Both
laugh).
KM:
How do you feel about the effect of that publicity? People like
me had a confusion between those two shows you promote. On the
one hand it gets the name of the show out there but on the other
is this the kind of attention you want? RC: I don’t mind
it so much. It’s on a Bad Breed DVD. If someone buys a Bad
Breed DVD because that is on there and watch the whole DVD and
learn some technique and learn what it is really about I don’t
think it’s such a bad thing.
KM:
Do you have another show lined up right now? RC: I’m working
on some big things I’d actually rather keep quiet right
now. I plan on doing a pretty big show in June or July.
KM:
What about you fighting? RC: Tentative fights against Eddie Yagin
in Guam and the upcoming TKO.
KM:
Anybody to thank? RC: I want to thank all of my guys. I have
ten guys that train with me full-time.
KM:
Sponsors to thank? RC: Victory Fight Wear. Actually I wore Full
Contact Fighter shorts because they were my lucky shorts. People
have borrowed them and they are like 18-0 right now. I didn’t
want to take no chances on this one. Of course Monte Cox and
Team Extreme. Bad Breed. Miguel (matchmaker). Vicky and all the
Russian staff that put on the event. They were all extremely
nice and I was impressed with their professionalism.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest
fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,
not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?"
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your
playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around
you."
Marianne Williamson 1952-, American Author, Lecturer on Spirituality
|
Super
Brawl 34 Results
Results via phone from Mike Onzuka
3RD - 3 Min - 180lbs
1. Corey Daniels (Niko Vitale) def. Eddie Ferreira (Maui Full
Contact)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after three rounds.
3RD - 3 Min - 185lbs
2. Tony Espitia (Kona Boxing) def. Bryson Monterde (808 Fight
Factory)
Submission via forearm choke at 2:54 minutes in Round 2.
3RD - 5 Min - 145lbs
3. Justin Mercado (GU, 4-2) def. Adam Alverez (Phoenix, AZ)
Submission due to punches from the mount at 1:28 minutes in Round
1.
3RD - 3 Min - 150lbs
4. Ed Kelii Newalu (808 FF, 1-0) def. Jason Walther (Hilo, HI)
Submission via forearm choke at 2:55 minutes in Round 2.
3RD - 5 Min - 185lbs
5. Kendall Groves (Maui Full Contact) def. Kaipo Kalama (GU,
2-2-1)
Groves by rear naked choke at 3:16 minutes in Round 2.
3RD - 5 Min - 160lbs
6. Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited 7-5) def. Tyson Coloma-Na’hooikaika
(Heredia Jiu-Jitsu, 3-2)
TKO via referee stoppage due to punches from the mount at 1:48
minutes in Round 1
3RD - 5 Min - 155lbs
7. Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory, 10-7) def. Ed West (Phoenix,
AZ, 4-0)
TKO via referee stoppage
due to strikes at 2:08 minutes in Round 1.
MAIN EVENT
3RD - 5 Min - 195lbs
8. Falaniko Vitale (#1 Contender, 16-3) def. Keith Winters (Phoenix,
AZ 4-2)
Submission via toe hold at 1:24 minutes in Round 1.
|
K-1
WORLD GP RESULTS
K-1 World GP 2004 Japan
March 27th, 2003
Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan
Musashi
defeats Akebono by unanimous decision.
Ernesto Hoost defeats Xhavit Bajrami by unanimous decision.
Alexy Ignashov defeats Carter Williams by KO at 2:42, RD 2.
Bob Sapp defeats Seth Petruzzi
by TKO at 0:57, RD 1.
Shannon
Briggs defeats Tom Erikson by KO at 1:02, RD 1.
Aziz Khattou defeats Fracois Botha by majority decision.
Jan 'The Giant' Nortje defeats Mike Bernardo by KO at 2:32, RD
1.
Sergei Gur defeats Jerrol Venetiaan by majority decision.
Cyril Abidi defeats Hirakud Hori by KO at 2:58, RD 2.
Source: Fight Sport
|
INSIDE
SCOOP: GOLDBERG ADVERTISED IN PRIDE EVENT
An
article in a Japanese newspaper today states that WWE superstar
Bill Goldberg will fight on the PRIDE show that is scheduled
for August 15th at the Saitama Super Arena.
Goldberg,
who has teased in the past that he may do a PRIDE show, is thought
by many to be too old to get into the sport at 37 years of age
and with no martial arts background. We will keep you updated
with more news on this as it becomes available.
Source: Fight Sport |
THE
JAKE R. REPORT: RUMORS OF TIM SYLVIA AND STEROIDS AGAIN
By Jake R
Before
reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.
Fightsport.com reserves the right not to be held legally responsible
for any mistakes or inaccuracies found within the content posted
on the messageboards or anywhere else of the fightsport.com website.
Fightsport.com is an independant website and as such does not
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register on this site to post on its messageboards. Entering
the fightsport.com messageboards and/or opening any of its messages
signifies your compliance with these conditions. Registering
a screenname at fightsport.com also signifies your complaince
with these conditions.
According
to my sources in Las Vegas and Iowa, rumors are now swirling
that Tim Sylvia has recently tested positive yet again for steroid
use. Nothing has been confirmed 100% yet, but the rumor is circulating
amongst the Zuffa staff and a prominent MMA gym in Iowa.
Zuffa
is already formulating a contingency plan in case the rumor is
confirmed. The plan at this point involves pulling Sylvia off
the card in an effort to appease the NSAC, though it is still
undecided whether the heavyweight title fight will be dropped
entirely or if Frank Mir will be brought in as a last minute
replacement.
However,
Sylvia might even still fight on the upcoming UFC 47 card even
if he did test positive, as nothing is completely set in stone
as of Friday afternoon at the Zuffa front office.
As
usual, stick to Fightsport.com and the Jake R report to read
the latest rumors you won't read anywhere else.
Source: Sport Fight
|
ATKINS
INSIDER: UFC 48 NEWS
By Todd Atkins
Hallman
and Trigg to have a rematch.
Below
are some of the matchups that my sources are telling me may happen
for UFC 48, scheduled for June 19th:
Ken
Shamrock vs. Kimo Leopoldo: The matchup Zuffa originally wanted
for Shamrock to face 'Tank' Abbott', but it looks like Tank will
go to K-1. Shamrock vs. Kimo is the fight they're looking to
put together now.
Dennis
Hallman vs. Frank Trigg: This matchup has already been announced
by Zuffa. Trigg has already signed, and Hallman has verbally
agreed. Look for a TON of trash talk leading up to this fight.
Some of it may be staged, but there is some personal stuff between
these two as well. Zuffa is very excited about this next show
and all indications are that it will do very well. Already it
is known that this will be one of the best live gate shows that
ZUFFA has ever had. What remains to be seen is how the PPV will
do.
Matt
Hughes vs. Renato
'Charuto' Verissimo:
This matchup is signed, but I wonder what Zuffa does if Charuto
wins?
Ivan
Menjivar vs. Matt Serra: This fight is very close to being singed.
Should be a good one!
Ricco
Rodriguez may also appear on the UFC 48 card to the surprise
of some. Do not rule out Royce Gracie on a UFC card in 2004.
Talks are still taking place and it would still take a lot of
money to get Royce. Zuffa feel that that he could bring them
their best ratings ever.
As
for the direction Zuffa is taking their cards...they still feel
that a couple good matchups and a card of lower cost fighters
is the way to go. It's going to be harder for fighters to get
real good paydays unless they are 'star' quality.
The
UFC doesn't care about who is the best fighter anymore. It isn't
about matching the best fighters as it was in the beginning.
They feel that they can gain more fans with personalities and
fighters that have the ripped, in-shape, and mean look.
There
will be SOME good matchups of the best fighters in the future,
but Zuffa is now to the point where they are making money on
each show and they feel excitement, look, and camera awareness
not only at the show but prefight, postfight, etc. is what will
convince NEW fans to buy a PPV.
Source: Fight Sport |
LINDLAND
BLASTS CAIAZZO
Matt
Lindland Made the following statement to supposed MMA journalist
Tony Caiazzo:
I
have taken the time to read your article concerning me. I have
then taken some time to consider the points you made, and re-read
your article. I believe there are two possible scenarios that
could be considered to explain it.
A)
Phil Baroni is an electrifying performer, whose brash personality
and extraordinary skills, both as a fighter and as a self-promoter,
have galvanized you to write this article, heralding the arrival
of a brilliant new voice in the arena of Mixed-Martial-Arts journalism,
or;
B)
Phil Baroni is a crass bore, and you are an idiot.
I
believe, if you read my riposte', and give it some thought, you
will come to agree with me that the correct answer is B.
I
could go over your article sentence by sentence, and point out
every contradiction, inconsistency, and unsupported claim, but
it would be like beating up a helpless drunk at the county fair.
So allow me to mention a few things that will stand as representative
of why I believe (and you will doubtless come to believe) that
you are an idiot.
In
the second paragraph of your article, you claim, "any follower
of the UFC knows the fallacy " that "rests" in
the "reasoning" that "a win is a win". The
fallacy in that statement is yours. You do not speak for the
followers of the UFC. You speak only for yourself. Do not imagine
for a second that you represent the "voice of the people".
It is insulting to the fans who have their own opinions, and
do not need you to supply them with opinions based upon your
skewered concepts. Additionally, I wonder if you would consider
two decision wins quite as much of a "fallacy" if Baroni
had them over me, instead of the way things stand.
You
then go on to trumpet your dismissal of Lee Murray for the balance
of your article, and follow that up by mentioning him relentlessly,
and including a picture of him. Quite a dismissal. The reason
you could not dismiss him is because, like Baroni, he enthralls
you by his antics, and like the simpleton you are, you are incapable
of turning away. Which is pitiful.
You
then go on to not mention Murray (Ha!) with the following statements:
"There are few who doubt Lindland would defeat Murray"
and "There are also few who would pay to see it happen".
Have you done any research to support this unwarranted claim?
If so, why didn't you provide a quote, from a UFC fan? I'll be
happy to tell you why....but I have a feeling you're probably
starting to catch on. You are again arrogantly speaking for the
fans.
In
that same paragraph, you then say, in response to my laying waste
to Phil in our verbal war before our second fight, "fans
like seeing that kind of stuff.." So do fans like seeing
me, or not? You have taken both sides of the argument, and made
an incoherent mess of yourself, and you're not even off page
2.
You
say that it's a "Numbers game." That "people want
to see Phil fight." Why didn't you provide some of the PPV
buy-in figures for Phil's fights, and compare them with the numbers
for events he doesn't appear in? Do the PPV buys shoot through
the roof with people wanting to see Phil perform, with his Martial
Arts skills, or more usually, his mouth? Why didn't you support
your claim with statistics, gathered through research? I could
go on, but the rest of page 3 is the same muddled ranting, unworthy
of refutation, and I crumpled the page up and threw it across
the room like the trash it is.
You go on, and parrot the "Lindland is boring" line
that was old hat and disproved long before you decided to take
one hand out of your boxer shorts and the other out of a bag
of stale Cheez Doodles and start tapping away on a keyboard in
a vain attempt to increase your own prestige by writing inane,
meaningless drivel. But because I am a charitable person, and
would like to instruct you, although it is you and you alone
and not the MMA/UFC fans who you fraudulently claim to represent,
by making a few simple points. Even you should be able to understand
them.
I
have worked hard to expand my repertoire to become a more well-rounded
fighter.
I
have traveled at my own expense, without the benefit of sponsors
who pay my travel, living, and training expenses (unlike your
fancy man Phil Baroni).
I
have trained with numerous Martial Artists to better myself.
You may, if you care to re-watch my second fight with Phil (if
you can stand watching your hero getting pummeled), that a substantial
percentage of that fight takes place standing, where Phil's deadly
hands should have carried the day rather easily by your reckoning.
Also,
if you watch the second Vitale fight, I attempted numerous kicks
(including some head kicks!), which resulted in me flat on my
back (where we Wrestlers are in uncharted territory, blah blah
blah), where I........and brace yourself for this........started
an offense, and reversed position, from the bottom. When was
the last time Phil "Mr. Excitement" Baroni gave that
a try?
As far as I can tell, based upon my observations, Phil's game
plan, the one "people pay to see", consists of him
coming out, throwing two or three minutes worth of barroom haymakers,
gassing, getting dumped and mounted like a cross-eyed white belt
rolling with Rickson Gracie in his heyday, and either hanging
on for dear life and hoping the bell rings, or flailing away
and eating punches, elbows and then slugging the referee. The
more I think about it, I've spent more time riding Phil in one
fight Than Lane Frost spent riding bulls in his entire career.
And what happened in the Tanner fight? Where was your great "finisher"
when Evan got caught? I'll tell you where. He was panting like
a hunting dog on a hot summer day, dragging himself across the
ring so slowly his own shadow was pushing him. And there you
were, I'm sure, with your "N.Y. Badass" t-shirt on,
desperately exhorting your hero on, to justify your pathetic,
small-minded worship of him. I can only hope you got some small
measure of satisfaction by watching him hit the referee, but
if you watch the replay again, you'll see that even those punches,
thrown at an unsuspecting man who was focused on ensuring Phil's
safety, didn't land either.
2.
You do not speak for the fans of the UFC, or Mixed-Martial-Arts
in general By imagining that you do, you make a classic chump's
mistake, and you render your article, and in fact, your credibility
from now on, a worthless shambles, unfit to be taken seriously
by anyone. The PPV buy-in numbers do not support your claims.
Had you done any research, you would have discovered this for
yourself. Here's an even easier test, one even someone as sloppy
and lazy as yourself could have done on the way to the 7-Eleven
for more Cheez Doodles; how many skate-punks do you see in Phil
Baroni shirts? How many people at the gas station are talking
about the "NY BADASS" while they fill their cars up?
If you mention your interest in the UFC to someone with a casual
or limited interest, how many of them mention Phil? You know
the answers to these questions as well as I do, you poor fool.
More
people remember Royce Gracie, and he hasn't fought in at least
5 years in the UFC. And why do you think that is? Because Royce
Gracie was a professional athlete, who carried himself with dignity,
in and out of the ring. And people remember him for that, and
will remember him long after the Phil Baronis of the world, the
Football player who pulls his helmet off and does his carefully-rehearsed
boogaloo dance after he catches a 12-yard pass over the middle
even though his team is down 24 points with a minute to go, the
basketball player who pounds his chest and conducts an on-court
audition for his upcoming sneaker commercial after scoring a
basket, even as the other team races down the court and scores
an easy lay-up on the 5-on-4 mismatch his antics have created,
the boob with the $4,000 paint-job and the earth-shattering sound
system in his car, which has a hanging muffler and is leaking
oil all over his mother's driveway, are forgotten. People, in
short, like you.
Should
you decide to try your hand at journalism again, I will be waiting.
And I will be neither this gentle nor this patient with you next
time. This is my profession and, how I put food on the table
for my family.
-Matt
Lindland
Source: Fight Sport |
Gurgel
Steals the Show at Extreme Challenge 56
MEDINA,
Minn. -- Jorge Gurgel has a simple strategy.
"I want to stand and bang," said the Brazilian-born
BJJ black belt from Cincinnati. And, by bang, he means with his
fists, as well as his feet.
Gurgel used some powerful leg kicks to the legs and body of Joe
Jordan Friday night to set up his submission victory that gave
him the 155-pound tournament title at Extreme Challenge 56. It
was a memorable performance that included a submission win over
local favorite Gene Minajevs (after 7 minutes of slugging it
out) in the opening round of the tourney.
"I'm really happy with my performance... those were two
very tough guys," Gurgel said. "I just want to keep
going... keep improving. I hope to do just as well in the Super
Brawl tournament."
By virtue of his tourney victory, Gurgel assured himself of a
spot in the 8-man
155-pound Super Brawl/Extreme Challenge tournament, scheduled
June 18 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
"Of course, as a qualifier, the winner of this tourney earned
a spot in the Hawaii event," said EC promoter Monte Cox.
"But, Joe Jordan and Roger Huerta put on such an amazing
show in their first-round fight, that I spoke with Super Brawl promoter
T. Jay Thompson
and we decided to bring all three of them out for the event."
Jordan advanced to the final when his bout with Huerta was scored
a draw. The judges were then asked to judge the entire 9 minutes
as a whole and choose a winner ... and Jordan was picked 2-1.
While the tourney was a huge bright spot, it wasn't the only
one a near sellout crowd witnessed at the Medina Entertainment
Center.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ Dave
Menne looked solid in the main event with a toe-hold victory
over Leo Sylvest.
Daryl Guthmiller won the Cut throat Fight Gear "fighter
of the night" award after his impressive arm-bar victory
over a tough Josh Rafferty.
Former UFC fighter Tyrone Roberts turned in a hard-hitting effort
in winning a decision over a hard-headed Scott Valleen.
UFC vet Travis Wiuff scored his 13th straight victory when he
used his legs to pin one arm of Demian Decorah and open up the
head for a series of elbow strikes that forced referee Rich Franklin
to halted the bout.
Joe Doerksen, who was in the ring for the first time since winning
last year's big 185-pound 8-man event in Super Brawl, was up
to his old tricks... he caught Dan Anderson in a arm-bar late
in the opening round.
Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall avoided all the unlucky incidents
that have been following him in the last year and forced Jimmy
Sullivan to tap from strikes early in their bout. Sullivan was
making his MMA debut, and only agreed to fight the veteran Schall
when nobody else seemed interested.
Kyle Jensen continued his impressive run, getting a triangle
choke win over 18-year-old Derick Perez, who was fighting for
only the second time since winning his debut as a 16-year-old.
In a battle of sluggers, Steve "Sgt. Slaughter" Friedrichs
scored a close decision win over Ron Fields in a bloody affair.
In a pair of heavyweight opening fights, Karl Knothe and John
Liebfried scored wins in amateur bouts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Karl
Knothe def. Chris Geschke, unanimous dec. 9:00
John Liebfried def. Playboy Saunders, TKO :46 Rd. 1
155-pound
tourney
Jorge Gurgel def. Gene Minajevs, guillotine choke 1:00 Rd. 3
Joe Jordan and Roger Huerta, draw 9:00 (Jordan voted to advance)
Gurgel def. Jordan, guillotine choke 1:55 Rd. 1
Kyle
Jensen def. Derick Perez, triangle choke 1:36 Rd. 3 (7:36)
Steve Friedrichs def. Ron Fields, unanimous dec. 9:00
Kerry Schall def. Jimmy Sullivan, tap from elbow strikes 1:08
Rd. 1
Tyrone Roberts def. Scott Valleen, unanimous dec. 9:00
Joe Doerksen def. Dan Anderson, arm-bar 3:40 Rd. 1
Daryl Guthmiller def. Josh Rafferty, arm-bar 2:20 Rd. 1
Travis Wiuff def. Demian Decorah, ref stop due to strikes 2:20
Rd. 1
Main
event
Dave Menne def. Leo Sylvest, toe-hold 2:06 Rd. 1
Source: Event promoter: |
Might
Makes Wright; Winky Makes Good!
By: Travis Newsome
The
Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas was the place where Ronald “Winky”
Wright made history on Saturday night against now former Junior
Middleweight Champion, “Sugar” Shane Mosley.
The
fight was expected to be a hotly contested battle with Sugar
Shane ultimately coming out the winner. On this night though,
the script did not make its way to the “Wright” dressing
room. Winky Wright, which Ronald is so affectionately known as
put on a masterful performance against one of the alleged members
of the pound for pound fraternity. After 14 years of professional
boxing, including a continent hopping campaign that may rival
the Marshal Islands of WWII, Winky was finally winked upon by
the boxing Gods.
Winky,
who is originally from Washington D.C., but grew up in St. Petersburg,
Florida, had the stars come out in support of him. The likes
of Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield littered the stands while Winky
went to work against the great Shane Mosley. From the opening
bell, the 3-1 underdog seemed to be the better and stronger of
the two fighters. From his southpaw stance, he battered, confused
and bullied the smaller Mosley. At about three quarters of the
way into the fight, it almost seemed apparent that unless Mosley
landed a punch that knocked Winky down or out, the outcome was
already certainly in Winky’s favor.
Round
after round, Winky would go back to work out hustling and out
boxing the so-called master boxer. I think that Winky might have
taken a page out of the Vernon Forrest book of “How to beat
Shane” by continuously jabbing Shane to neutralize his speed.
Even when Mosley came in to land his body shots, he was unsuccessful
and was also paying a steep price. When in his corner, Mosley
seemed very discouraged while his father tried to reinvent new
ways to attack Winky; of course, learning on the fly was not
going to be something that anyone was going to be able to do
against Winky on this night.
To
Mosley’s credit, he tried to follow his father’s instructions
but it just wasn’t to be. On the rare occasions that Mosley
landed hard shots, Winky would taunt him by shaking his head
letting Shane know that he did not affect him. To make matters
worse, when Winky landed a shot of his own, he kept pressing
the issue, not admiring his work, but continuously attacking
Mosley, virtually intimidating him. In the 12th and final round,
Mosley, knowing that he needed a knockout to hold onto his title
and secure a mega pay day against Felix “Tito” Trinidad
who was at ringside, came out with a spirited effort. Like Mickey
Walker before him, he came out with a renewed fire, fighting
fiercely to hang onto his titles. When it was over, the outcome
had been decided rounds ago; two cards read 117-111 while a third
went 116-112 all in favor of the new Junior Middleweight Champion-
Winky Wright.
I’m
my opinion, I think that Winky fought an excellent fight and
deserved the decision that he had earned. This is a guy who has
put in plenty of honest years fighting to become a recognized
champ although there were several roadblocks in front of him
such as, top fighters ducking him; being robbed in the Vargas,
fight etc…. Finally, a good guy is finishing first in the
sport of boxing (By the way, Mosley is a good guy too). Winky
says that he has been in the game for a long time and now it’s
time to get paid. He wants to fight Trinidad, De La Hoya and
maybe even Bernard Hopkins and then call it a career. Whether
Winky wins those fights is to be determined, I’m just glad
that he’s going to finally get paid. He made $750,000 for
this fight compared to Mosley’s $3 million; it’s about
time.
As
for Mosley, for some reason I just haven’t been overly impressed
with him since his lightweight days; but be it as it may, he
has established himself as a very good fighter over the years,
certainly deserving of the pound for pound list- once upon a
time. I just think after the two losses to Forrest, he has been
long removed from that crew. In my continued opinion, for what
it’s worth, I have him at 0-3 with 1 no contest since 2001.
I still think that he lost against De La Hoya the second time
around. Even if I’m wrong, which I may be, the guy is still
1-2 with 1 no contest since ’01…… How great is
that for a master boxer??
Source:
Boxing Time |
Submission's
Latest Revelation: Marcelinho Garcia
By: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME
Marcelinho
Garcia has become the top name in Submission Grappling for 2004,
finishing most of his matches by submission be it gi or no gi.
Unleashed on the world at ADCC 2003, Marcelinho has started 2004
effiviently using his techniques. Right after beating Rodrigo
Riscado in the Superfight of the Submission Wrestling in São
João da Barra, Marcelinho told us some of his secrets
and plans for this year.
The
fact that you have been fighting a lot, does it help you out
in your matches? It definitely makes me feel calmer and the calmer
I get, I play better.
You
came here to fight in São João da Barra against
a way heavier opponent, is there some different tactic for this?
The tactic is, you gotta train more, and the more I train I become
more prepared. I´ve come from 3 competitions and after
this I still have another. After that there are other competitions
being arranged so the point is, you have to focus your training,
in order to be well prepared.
Tell
us a bit about your match against Rodrigo Riscado. It was a good
fight. It is great being here in São João da Barra.
I got here and I was the favorite, that´s what everyone
was saying, because I was coming in as the winner at the Absolute
in Campos, but I tried to keep that out of my mind. I had some
difficulties, because in the middle of the match I felt that
something was slipping, I don´t know if it was some lotion
he used due to an injury but it made me have a hard time. It
bothered me a little, but I waited for the right time, and at
the time he took the risk I ran over him.
Even
fighting in your opponent´s hometown, the fans were at
your side. I liked it more this time here, because I wasn´t
expecting that the fans would be on my side, since Riscardo is
a local idol. I was even more surprised when I took his back
and the crowd yelled, I was really happy for that.
And
why didn´t you fight in the Absolute? I did not fight the
Absolute because I´ve been feeling a little the fights
I´ve been having, I mean, after the matches, when I take
some rest, there are many trips, I got here the day before yesterday
from another trip and I was a bit tired, it´s hard, you
sacrifice yourself way hard in dieting, you always have to be
on the top, maintain your correct weight, following a perfect
diet, that´s what I try to do, but there´s a time
that all you want to do is eat a bit more, and this messes up
a little my physical condition.
How
about the MMA? Is it in your plans for this year? It will be
hard for me to fight in MMA this year, I don´t believe
this could happen. But it all depends on negotiating, it might
be worth the private classes I have, I will have to focus more
professionally. It doesn´t mean that I would need to train
Jiu-jitsu, but I don´t believe that my preparation is that
professional since the time I have to rest I´m giving classes,
which doesn´t allow me to dedicate more to my training.
Since I think that MMA is more professional than Jiu-jitsu, I
think I would have to renounce my classes and privates as well.
But
to get into Mixed Martial Arts you must have to train some standing
fight, have you been doing this? No, haven´t had time for
this. I´ve been only doing some anaerobic and aerobic training,
weightlifting, jiu-jitsu once a day and on the rest of the day
there´s only jiu-jitsu classes I have to give. The pay
I get isn´t enough yet to pay my bills.
Any
message to your fans? I just have to thank the guys who ask me
to take pics with them, it´s something I have never went
through and I think it´s cool, they demonstrate they like
you. Today I got surprised by the people who have given me support,
even by the fact that I was fighting in the hometown of the champion
Riscado. I was the challenger and I got a lot of fan appreciation!
Source:
ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them
across, your ideas won't get you anywhere."
Lee Iacocca, 1924-, American Businessman, Former CEO of Chrysler
|
Super
Brawl 34 Tonight in Maui!
180lbs
1. Ed Ferreira (Maui Full Contact) vs. Corey Daniels (Niko Vitale)
Two young aggresive fighters eager to break into the Super Brawl
Oahu show. A win tonight will likely do that. Pick ‘em Even
Odds
185lbs
2. Tony Espitia vs. Bryson Monterde
(Kona Boxing) (808 Fight Factory)
Monterde is aggressive and will not back down. Espitia coming
from Kona Boxing is sure to throw bombs. Pick ‘em Even Odds
It seems to appear that "the Kid" is back in and has
made weight for his fight. He was battling the flu and even fought
in the Amatuer Shooto show on Friday night and was coughing up
something nasty. I guess it's good to be young!
145lbs
3. Adam Alverez (Phoenix, AZ) vs. Justin Mercado (GU, 4-2 )
This could be a beauty. Mercado is a golden gloves boxer who
also has a solid ground game. Alverez also has a boxing background
and if he choses to stand in front of Mercado we could see some
fireworks! Mercado 3-1 Favorite
150lbs
4. Jason Walthen (Hilo, HI) vs. Kelii Newalu (808 FF, 1-0 )
Newalu won his first pro fight in the last Super Brawl and showed
crisp kicks and punches. He will need to use them as well as
a ground attack against Walthen who has extensive boxing and
kickboxing experience, but may be short in the grappling department.
Newalu 2-1 Favorite
185lbs
5. Kendall Groves (Maui Full Contact) vs. Kaipo Kalama (GU, 2-2-1)
Kalama will look to use his reach advantage and ring experience
to carry him to victory. Groves is a local boy who has a solid
wrestling background who will look to impose his will on Kalama.
Kalama 3-2 Favorite
160lbs
6. Tyson Na’hooikaika vs. Kolo Koka
(Maui) 3-2 (Grappling Unlimited 7-5)
Koka
is veteran of many Super Brawls. He has a solid stand-up game
and has rapidly developed his ground arsenal. He will be highly
motivated after losing a decision in Super Brawl 33 to Harris
Sarmiento. Ikaika is one of the best fighters on Maui and will
look to the home crowd to motivate him to victory. Koka 3-2 Favorite
155lbs
7. Ed West vs. Harris Sarmiento
(Phoenix, AZ, 4-0) (808 Fight Factory, 10-7)
Sarmiento
is coming off a big tournament victory in Super Brawl 33. He
is a young aggressive fighter who is improving with every bout.
West is another young aggressive fighter who is not afraid to
bang. Being undefeated he will obviously come into this fight
with confidence. Pick ‘em Even Odds
MAIN EVENT
195lbs
8. Keith Winters vs. Falaniko Vitale
(Phoenix, AZ 4-2) (#1 Contender, 16-3)
Vitale is coming off a HUGE victory over former UFC World Champion
Dave Menne in Super Brawl 33. He has an aggressive style that
mixes powerful punches and kicks with a deadly ground game. Winters
will likely try to get this fight to the ground were he is the
strongest. A win over Vitale would be a big boost to his career.
Vitale 2-1 Favorite
Source: Event Promoter |
CABBAGE
FINALLY TAKING TRAINING SERIOUSLY
It is just a week before UFC 47 and the heavyweight fight between
Wesley "Cabbage" Correira and Mike Kyle. On Wednesday,
MMAWeekly Sound-Off Radio featured both fighters in it's Sixteen
Fighters in Sixteen Days segment.
"Cabbage"
was the first guest, joining the show from Hawaii where he has
done all of his training for this fight. Wesley said he is doing
great and is training hard. He gets up at 5 or 6am every morning
to run for an hour, covering the distance of over four miles.
Correira then goes home to rest for his training at noon. He
has been training with BJ Penn's "crew" two and three
times a day. He said, they "train together, eat together,
we do everything together....like a family."
Wesley
has gotten a new kickboxing coach, the same coach that prepares
Penn for his fights, and "Cabbage" said he is "awesome."
Along with his new coach, he has been training with some "big
guys." Correira is weighing about 277-275 right now and
feels that he will be "right on" or under 265 for weigh-ins.
With
the way he has been training, Wesley predicts that this fight
will only go one round. He has seen Mike Kyle's fight tapes and
said that Kyle has "pretty decent hands, a nice jab and
a very good uppercut." When asked about Mike's hand speed,
Wesley replied, he "ain't my hand speed though."
A
well trained "Cabbage" is something we haven't seen
before. He commented that he didn't train at all for his fight
with Tim Sylvia. He went on to say he didn't think he needed
to train to beat Tim and that it "flipped on him."
Wesley lost the fight when his corner threw in the towel half
way through the second round. "Cabbage" said he didn't
want the fight to end that way and quitting never once entered
into his mind. He does understand why his corner did what they
did. If Sylvia and Correira rematch, Wesley thinks he will walk
out of there with the belt and "it's going to be an unbelievable
war."
Correira
is coming off a win over David "Tank" Abbott at UFC
45 and he spoke about that fight, too. He said that he had always
wanted to fight Abbott and "I beat him at his own game."
After the fight, Wesley did his trademark "Cabbage Patch"
dance that sparked off a post fight altercation among camps.
Correira has no intentions on changing what he does in victory
and found it ironic that "Tank's" corner would react
the way they did.
"Cabbage"
sounded confident and said he was ready to fight "three
weeks ago." This fight could mean a lot to the winner. Wesley
feels that if he beats Mike Kyle, that he should "definitely"
get a shot at the title. We will see in eight days.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Arachnophobia
at Chute Boxe!
Famous
for beating the top opponents in the MMA ring, lately the people
from Chute Boxe can´t sleep due to an adversary the size
of a quarter. It’s a brown spider, common in the Paraná
region and one of the three most dangerous spiders in Brazil.
'This is a curse here in Curitiba. It hides inside shoes, clothes,
and when it feels in danger, it bites you', explains Rudimar
Fedrigo, Chute Boxe’s leader and one of the spider’s
victim.
BJJ
trainer Cristiano Marcelo, living in Curitiba for three years,
met the opponent some months ago. 'It was in my home. I was face-to-face
with it and I showed the spider who’s the boss', he stated,
confirming: 'it’s the most dangerous opponent of Chute Boxe!'.
Rudimar’s trusted 2nd man Rafael Cordeiro doesn’t even
like to think about it. 'I hate spiders! I take a lot of care
with them', explains Cordeiro. 'Ninja had to stop training last
week, suspecting he was bitten by one of them. Daniel Acácio
too, two weeks ago', contributes Rudimar.
'I
don’t like to think about it... actually, I cut my feet,
I went to the beach and it became worse. I went to the doctor
and she said it wasn’t the spider. If it was, I could be
dead', explained Ninja. The brown spider bite doesn’t hurt,
which can be worse for the patient. After some time, the injury
get worst and 12 to 24 hours later the kidneys are attacked.
Some deaths were registered in the south of Brazil.
Source: ADCC |
PULVER'S
NEW STYLE
Fresh off a first round knock out victory in Shooto, Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver joined MMAWeekly Sound-Off Radio Friday and
spoke about his win. This was Pulver's "first big fight
back," as he put it. He said he felt "weird" being
the only American fighter amongst all the Japanese guys. He wasn't
nervous at all, just wanted to go in there and bring his "combinations."
Naoya
Uematsu is a "star over there," and Jens made quick
work of him. Jens said he wanted to work the body and that's
just what he did. He said Uematsu used his Muay Thai defense
and put his hands up to his head and, "I tagged him in the
guts." Pulver added, "you don't see enough MMA fighters
go to the body." It was a left hand the put Naoya away but
according to Jens, he was out on his feet from a previous right
hand.
Pulver
injured his knee in the fight. During the bout, he took some
leg kicks and didn't feel them until after the fight was over.
While exiting the ring, Jens needed assistance. He doesn't' think
it is anything more than sore and swollen but will wait and see.
Jens
has changed his fight game. He considers himself to be the first
"legitimate" wrestler to go over to boxing and be considered
"dangerous." It was his fight with Duane "Bang"
Ludwig that changed everything for Pulver. Instead of looking
for knockouts, he works combinations and doesn't allow himself
to get out of position like he would in the past. Pulver went
on to say that he isn't going to a decision again, and that,
"I'll get knocked out first."
The
new Jens Pulver refers to stand and fight. He said he will only
use his ground and pound to get the fight back to it's feet.
Pulver grapples everyday, he "just don't like people to
know how well I do it." He added, "I will trade my
left hook with any body's arm bar....I'll go punch for punch
with anyone." He doesn't feel he has anything to prove to
anyone and is just having fun doing what he does.
Jens
doesn't think he will be back in the UFC "any time soon."
He has two more fights with Shooto and after his last fight,
K-1 and Pride seem very interested. Pulver is free to fight anywhere
and has boxing matches coming up in April and May as well as
a possible grapple match in May. Having said all of that, Jens
said, "Everyone knows who I want to fight," and he
left it at that.
Pulver
gave updates on Tim Sylvia and Robbie Lawler, fellow Miletich
fighters. He said Lawler is a "truck" and can't believe
he only weighs 170 pounds. In the past, Jens questioned some
of Robbie's methods of getting in shape but said that Robbie
is in "great shape" for his fight against Nick Diaz.
He referred to Lawler as "an animal."
Tim
Sylvia is ready to go, said Jens. Tim always trains hard and
"if you go straight at Tim, you're going to get knocked
out." Jens just wants someone, anyone to push Sylvia so
Tim can show the rest of his game other than that jab and big
right hand. Tim has been working on his "feet and agility,"
and plans on getting his belt back.
Source: MMA Weekly |
QUINTON
BREAKS DOWN TITO VS CHUCK
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was the featured guest this
week on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio. He joined the show from Huntington
Beach, Califonia where he is training with Tito Ortiz. Quinton
discussed his hand injury, Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell, and
of course, Wanderlei Silva.
Jackson
broke his hand on New Years Eve in Japan while fighting Ikuhisa
Minowa. The hand has healed up "pretty good," and he
is back to training. He isn't hitting the pads yet but has been
training Jiu-Jitsu. "Rampage" usually walks around
at about 215-220 pounds but had gotten up to 232 not too long
ago. Quinton does not lift weights. He said he would have to
diet before he can lift in order to stay fighting at 205.
During
his time off of fighting, letting his hand heal, Jackson shot
a movie in Japan where he plays a fighter that ends up fighting
Sakuraba in the movie. In the film version of the fight, Sakuraba
repeats his real life victory over Jackson by submitting him
via rear naked choke.
Quinton
gave his take on the highly anticipated UFC 47 main event between
Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Jackson has broken away from the
label of Team Punishment but continues to maintain a close relationship
with Tito and still trains with him. He has also been in the
ring with Chuck, beating him in the semifinals of the Pride Middleweight
Grand Prix.
To
no surprise, Jackson is going with training partner Tito Ortiz
to take home the victory. He simply considers Ortiz to have "more
all around skills." He said, "Here's the deal, they
both lost to Randy...This fight can make or break both of them."
He gives Tito the advantage in Jiu-Jitsu and pointed out that
"every fight goes to the ground a little bit." In fact,
Jackson said Ortiz submitted him with a triangle choke last night.
Quintion gives Chuck the advantage in striking but but questioned,
"Tito's stand up isn't as good as Chuck's but how good is
Chuck's?" Having said that, he added, "Chuck is no
slouch."
When
will we see a rematch between Jackson and Wanderlei Silva? It
is a good question but it didn't get answered. Quinton wants
to let the strength in his hand to get back to normal and sharpen
up some skills before a rematch happens. In their last fight,
Jackson said he made a mistake and although he didn't go out,
he was "dazed as a motherf@%er." Rampage said he wasn't
100% against Liddell and was hurt by Chuck, in particular, with
a body shot at the end of the first round. He then had to fight
Silva later in the same night. In the fight with Wanderlei, Jackson
said to watch Silva's cornerman when he has Silva on the ground.
The corner did "some weird shit," said Jackson. He
went on to say, "I ain't never seen a cornerman tell the
ref what to do before in my life."
So,
when will we see Quinton fight again? Most likely in June. He
would also like to avenge every loss on his record, including
Sakuraba and Silva. To hear some of Rampage's classic quotes
in this interview, such as, him getting drunk on his 9th birthday
or him recall his first "ass kicking," get ourself
a Premium Membership.
Source: MMA Weekly |
MORE
CELEBS FLOCK TO UFC 47
Many celebrities have called the UFC offices wanting tickets
for Friday's UFC 47 show "It's On". The show is almost
sold out and some of the celeb's defintely want in.
Leonardo
DiCaprio, Pamela Anderson, Chuck Zito, Michael Clark Duncan,
and Carson Daly are just a few of the names. Sylvester Stallone
called the UFC offices to tell them he supported the direction
they are going and said he would be there if he could, but due
to movie obligations, he won't be able to attend.
Source: MMA Weekly |
SYLVIA
PREDICTS KNOCKOUT OVER ARLOVSKI
Before he steps into the octagon next Friday to try and regain
his heavyweight title, Tim Sylvia joined MMAWeekly Sound-Off
Radio Thursday as a part of it's Sixteen Fighters in Sixteen
Days. He will be squaring off against Andrei Arlovski and discussed
his upcoming bout.
Tim
is doing "real good" and is training twice a day. His
main training partner for this fight has been Justin Eilers,
but he has been training with such guys as Mike Whitehead and
Jeremy Horn among others. Just three years ago, Tim was weighing
over 300 pounds but with hard training and adjusting his diet,
he weighed 262 1/2 pounds last night. Next week, Tim will go
to thirty minute workouts. He is under weight so he doesn't have
to worry about that, and just plans on eating right.
Sylvia
is "excited" about being back in the octagon and he
wants his belt back. He said that he can't wait and is "smiling
from ear to ear." He has watched tapes of Arlovski fight
and considers him to be a "really good stand-up fighter"
but thinks he "folds under pressure." Tim's plan in
the fight is to "press the action" and capitalize on
his reach advantage from the outside. Sylvia said he is going
to keep his hands up and put it to him, "treat him like
a little boy."
Sylvia
thinks Andrei will have to try and take him down once he starts
getting "tagged." His prediction for the fight is to
win by knockout in round two or three. Tim isn't being overly
confident. He said he is always concerned going into a fight,
saying, "you gotta realize that you're fighting a guy who's
trying to take your head off."
Tim
thinks Arlovski has a bit of a "glass jaw," and plans
on going out and breaking it. Also playing in Tim's favor, according
to him, is that he has a couple of "bigger" fights
under his belt than Arlovski does. He went on to say, "I've
been in the big fights." He thinks that the winner of this
fight will be fighting Frank Mir next. Sylvia sounded focused,
confident and eager to get it on.
Tim
is the former UFC heavyweight champion and this fight is for
the title. He feels a little bummed that the Tito Ortiz and Chuck
Liddell fight is getting all the attention. He plans on stealing
it back come
Source: MMA Weekly |
HOOKnSHOOT
Tonite! Randelman/Sims/Rome/Monson in Tag Team Grappling!
HOOKnSHOOT has signed as last minute match that is sure to turn
some heads.
With
their recent surge in popularity with Tag Team Submission Wrestling,
HnS will be doing a four-team tournament this Saturday. In additional
to the tournament a superfight has been signed.
WES
'THE PROJECT' SIMS and KEVIN 'THE MONSTER' RANDLEMAN will take
on American Top Team's WADE ROME and JEFF 'SNOWMAN' MONSON
Everyone
is aware of the extreme power and aggression that both Randleman
and Sims can produce.
On
the other side, Wade Rome is an accomplished heavyweight grappler
in his own right! Monson also needs no introduction as he has
placed and even won several ADCC championships.
What
are the factors? Hmnmmm, just as in pro wrestling, you can double
team your opponent for five seconds when you make a tag.
Don't
forget, the theatrics and gimmicks of pro wrestling are strongly
encouraged for a good time by both fans and fighters.
This
is sure to be a crowd pleaser and give a last minute boost to
the show which is up against the Evansville Bluecats season opener
(the city's semi-pro football team).
Tickets
will be available at the Evansville Coliseum Box Office starting
at 6PM (Central Time) this Saturday.
DON'T
MISS THE NEXT LEVEL OF COMBAT SPORTS......HOOKnSHOOT!
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've
always gotten."
Anthony Robbins, 1960-, American Author, Speaker, Peak Performance
Expert/ Consultant |
Amatuer
Shooto Results
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
March 26, 2004
135lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Tony Degamo (HMC) def. Deron Lacina (Kodenkan)
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:07 minutes in Round 1.
145lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Brandon Antonio (Jesus Is Lord) def. Edmund Li (HMC)
Submission via guillotine choke at 2:11 minutes in Round 1.
167lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Steven Fernandez (Jesus Is Lord) def. Rick Wallace (Freelance)
Disqualification due to striking on the ground at 1:39 minutes
in Round 1.
150lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
TJ Kuahine (Jesus Is Lord Gym) def. Russ PoiPoi (Kenpo Unlimited)
Submission via arm bar from the guard at 49 seconds in Round
2.
155lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Bryan Mau (Kenpo Unlimited) def. Aaron Okura (Freelance)
Unanimous decision [(30-20), (30-20), (20-18)] after 2 Rounds.
167lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Dean Lista (HMC) def. Xavier "X" Sequioa (808 Fight
Factory)
Unanimous decision [(40-39), (40-39), (19-20)] after 2 Rounds.
183lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Eric Pajdak (Kamole Jiu-Jitsu) def. Thane Fowler (Jesus Is Lord)
Unanimous decision [(34-21), (34-21), (20-20)] after 2 Rounds.
200lbs:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Casey Daniels (Kodenkan) def. Bryson "Kid" Monterde
(808 Fight Factory)
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:35 minutes in Round 2.
|
Super
Brawl 34 Fight Card
Special Thanks To: Champs Sports, Queen Ka'ahumanu Center, KPOA
93.5, Pride-1 Productions, Maui Sports & Entertainment Council
180lbs
1. Ed Ferreira (Maui Full Contact) vs. Corey Daniels (Niko Vitale)
Two young aggresive fighters eager to break into the Super Brawl
Oahu show. A win tonight will likely do that. Pick ‘em Even
Odds
185lbs
2. Tony Espitia vs. Bryson Monterde
(Kona Boxing) (808 Fight Factory)
Monterde is aggressive and will not back down. Espitia coming
from Kona Boxing is sure to throw bombs. Pick ‘em Even Odds
Breaking
news: After tonight's match with Casey Daniels at Shooto Hawaii,
Monterde is going to be pulled out of SB 34, he is injured (previous
injuries) and is suffering from the flu. He thought that he would
be good to go by Sunday, but it does not appear that he will
get over that by Sunday.
145lbs
3. Adam Alverez (Phoenix, AZ) vs. Justin Mercado (GU, 4-2 )
This could be a beauty. Mercado is a golden gloves boxer who
also has a solid ground game. Alverez also has a boxing background
and if he choses to stand in front of Mercado we could see some
fireworks! Mercado 3-1 Favorite
150lbs
4. Duane Amaral (Hilo, HI) vs. Kelii Newalu (808 FF, 1-0 )
Newalu won his first pro fight in the last Super Brawl and showed
crisp kicks and punches. He will need to use them as well as
a ground attack against Amaral who has extensive boxing and kickboxing
experience, but may be short in the grappling department. Newalu
2-1 Favorite
185lbs
5. Kendall Groves (Maui Full Contact) vs. Kaipo Kalama (GU, 2-2-1)
Kalama will look to use his reach advantage and ring experience
to carry him to victory. Groves is a local boy who has a solid
wrestling background who will look to impose his will on Kalama.
Kalama 3-2 Favorite
160lbs
6. Tyson Na’hooikaika vs. Kolo Koka
(Maui) 3-2 (Grappling Unlimited 7-5)
Koka
is veteran of many Super Brawls. He has a solid stand-up game
and has rapidly developed his ground arsenal. He will be highly
motivated after losing a decision in Super Brawl 33 to Harris
Sarmiento. Ikaika is one of the best fighters on Maui and will
look to the home crowd to motivate him to victory. Koka 3-2 Favorite
155lbs
7. Ed West vs. Harris Sarmiento
(Phoenix, AZ, 4-0) (808 Fight Factory, 10-7)
Sarmiento
is coming off a big tournament victory in Super Brawl 33. He
is a young aggressive fighter who is improving with every bout.
West is another young aggressive fighter who is not afraid to
bang. Being undefeated he will obviously come into this fight
with confidence. Pick ‘em Even Odds
MAIN EVENT
195lbs
8. Keith Winters vs. Falaniko Vitale
(Phoenix, AZ 4-2) (#1 Contender, 16-3)
Vitale is coming off a HUGE victory over former UFC World Champion
Dave Menne in Super Brawl 33. He has an aggressive style that
mixes powerful punches and kicks with a deadly ground game. Winters
will likely try to get this fight to the ground were he is the
strongest. A win over Vitale would be a big boost to his career.
Vitale 2-1 Favorite
Source: Event Promoter |
K-1
Superstars in Saitama
by Monty DiPietro
TOKYO,
March 26, 2004 -- The K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 Series kicks
off tomorrow at the 35,000 capacity Saitama Super Arena. The
one-match tournament will feature nine bouts and some of K-1's
biggest stars. The fights will be under regular K-1 rules 3R
x 3min, two possible extra rounds), with the winners receiving
consideration for the September 25 World GP Semi Final Tournament.
The 18 participating fighters met the press today at the Shin
Takanawa Prince Hotel in central Tokyo.
French
kickboxer Cyril Abidi will take on 22 year-old Hiraku Hori in
the first bout. Hori has won six of his nine K-1 bouts and said
he is confident: "I'm excited to meet a good fighter like
Cyril. It's my birthday this month and the win would be a good
way to celebrate."
The
second bout will pit Dutch fighter Jerrel Venetiaan against Sergei
Gur, who won the K-1 Italy in 2001 and KO'd three challengers
to take the K-1 Marseilles this January.
A
pair of South African fighters, Mike Bernardo and Jan "The
Giant" Nortje will meet in the third bout. There has been
bad blood between these two ever since Bernardo left Steve's
Gym, where Nortje trains, two years ago. "I think everyone
is about fed up with you," said a somber Nortje to Bernardo
at the press conference. "When you left our gym, you spoke
badly of us. That wasn't very Christian of you, Mike. Well, what
goes around comes around, and tomorrow I'll be coming around."
Replied
Bernardo, "If you look between all the lies, you will discover
the truth. The only time you are coming around tomorrow will
be after the count of ten."
Another
South African, Francis "The White Buffalo" Botha, will
take on Belgian Aziz Khattou in the fourth matchup; superstar
heavyweight Shannon Briggs will make his long-anticipated K-1
debut against fellow American Tom Erikson in the fifth; and Bob
Sapp will step in against American wrestler Seth Petruzelli in
the sixth.
"Sapp
has size, but I know he is very slow," said Petruzelli.
"I hope Bob can get me a discount on those pizzas he advertises
on TV, because after I destroy him tomorrow I'm going to be real
hungry!" Retorted Sapp: "It's good that he's hungry
because he's going to be eating a bunch of punches tomorrow."
The
Alexy Ignashov vs Carter Williams bout is another much-anticipated
bout. Can the K-1 USA 2003 Champion stand up to The Scorpion?
This will be the toughest test yet for the American wunderkind.
"I'm fighting a damn good fighter tomorrow and I'm nervous,"
said Williams. "But I fight best when I'm nervous, so I
know it's going to be a damn good fight."
The
penultimate bout will feature four-time K-1 World GP Champion
Ernesto Hoost. Unfortunately, a training injury has put Hoost's
scheduled opponent, defending World GP Champ Remy Bonjasky, out
of the bout. Taking Bonjasky's place is Swiss karate fighter
Xhavit Bajrami, whom Hoost will attempt to beat for the third
time.
In
the main event, Japan's strongest K-1 fighter, Musashi, will
step in against former Sumo Grand Champion Akebono. This will
be the second K-1 fight for Akebono, who lost by first round
KO to Bob Sapp on New Year's Eve.
"I
am very honored to be fighting Musashi," said Akebono, "and
I will do my very best."
The
K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Saitama starts at 4:30 p.m. JT (07h30
GMT; 02h00 EST) on Saturday March 27. It will be broadcast across
Japan on the Fuji TV network (7:00 p.m. start). The matchups
and more fighter information can be found on the K-1 Official
Website: http://www.so-net.ne.jp/feg/k-1gp/top585.htm
Source: Sherdog |
MaxPreview:
UFC 47: Finally, It’s On
By Jake Rossen
After a delay-of-game brought on by double talk, posturing, broken
promises and more, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell are finally set
to square off. The protracted rivalry comes to an end at UFC
47: It’s On, hosted April 2 by the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Months of hype and anticipation have resulted in at least
one preliminary victory, with Zuffa reporting record ticket sales.
The
marquee bout takes center stage over the heavyweight title fight
between Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski. Genki Sudo, Yves Edwards,
Robbie Lawler and others are also set to compete.
Here’s
a look at the eight bouts scheduled to be decided. As always,
please: no wagering.
Main
Event
Light Heavyweight (205 lb. and under) Bout
Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell
The
Lowdown: Where to start?
After
dispatching Vanderlei Silva, Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic,
Vladimir Matyushenko and Ken Shamrock, Ortiz laid claim to being
an undisputed champ and the figurehead of a burgeoning sport.
Running parallel to Ortiz’ dominance was Liddell, often
called upon to fight more imposing opposition. The two had met
up for several training sessions; rumors circulated that Ortiz
did not fare well.
Several
attempts were made to match the fight in 2003, with Ortiz alternately
complaining of financial woes, physical problems, scheduling
conflicts, or concerns over their alleged friendship. When the
smoke finally cleared, Ortiz lost his title to interim champ
Randy Couture and Liddell suffered a defeat in Japan to Ortiz
protege’ Quinton Jackson.
With
Couture having bested the both of them, and champ Vitor Belfort
obligated to clear up a muddy victory over “The Natural,”
the match finally become inevitable. It will be Ortiz’ MMA
wrestling dominance vs. Liddell’s anti-grappler style.
Odds
On: Notoriously difficult to take down, “The Iceman”
won’t sit for the patented wrestling attack of Ortiz. He’ll
get up. Again. And again. And again. Even Couture - who proved
himself to be the far better MMA wrestler - could not hold him
until Liddell had lost his wind.
Ortiz,
for his part, can take comfort in the promise of a three-round
bout, turning up the heat more than usual. But years of circling
around this fight hint at training sessions that saw Liddell
garner a psychological advantage. In the end, it may be the heavy-handed
Liddell who will write the last chapter in this whole sordid
mess, pegging Ortiz with strikes and avoiding a ground war. Liddell
by decision.
For
the Vacant UFC Heavyweight (205 lb. and over) Title
Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
The
Lowdown: Incredibly, Sylvia’s suspension for using steroids
in September of 2003 may be more relevant now than it was when
the sentence was handed down. In a climate that now seems to
have zero tolerance for skirting the law, use of performance
enhancers will be the subject of political maneuvering and increased
monitoring for years to come.
We
don’t yet know how Sylvia’s drug use contributed to
his immaculate record in MMA or his brief title reign. Formidable
opposition Ricco Rodriguez and Gan McGee looked lost against
his power and boxing ability. At 6’8“ and 260, Sylvia
seems to be a laboratory product for heavyweight combatants.
He’s drilled his opponents in the stand-up war: in fact,
we have yet to really see Sylvia’s ground game. Coming from
the Miletich school, we doubt it’s lacking.
Testing
Sylvia’s new training regimen will be powerhouse Andrei
Arlovski, who made an auspicious debut at UFC, armbarring Aaron
Brink at UFC 28 in 2000. From there, he fell victim to a motivated
Rodriguez in 2001 and to hard-hitting Pedro Rizzo in 2002. Arlovski
bounced back with wins over Vlady Matyushenko and Ian Freeman
in ’03.
Odds
On: Sylvia will be eager to prove his worth as a “clean”
title holder, and it’s doubtful that drugs had a huge effect
on his boxing ability. Look for a short and ugly stand-up war
with Arlovski finding out he may have gotten a premature shot.
Sylvia by stoppage.
Welterweight
(170 lb. and under) Bout
Robbie Lawler vs. Nick Diaz
The
Lowdown: Crowd favorite Lawler returns after a bizarre decision
win over Chris Lytle in November. Lawler and Lytle traded as
many posedowns and grimaces as they did strikes, annoying those
who wanted to see a straight-faced combat session. Previously,
he had handled Tiki and Aaron Riley before getting shot down
by Pete Spratt. Lawler comes from the Miletich camp and brings
heavy hands and impressive wrestling.
Diaz
comes from Ceasar Gracie’s team and is coming off of two
wins against Jeremy Jackson. He can trade but his gifts reside
primarily in the submission game.
Odds
On: Tough call. Lawler may indeed prove to be too overwhelming
for a more methodical fighter, although Diaz is no pushover.
Lawler by decision.
Lightweight
(155 lb. and under) Bout
Genki Sudo vs. Mike Brown
The
Lowdown: Flashy showman Sudo engaged Duane Ludwig in one of the
most entertaining bouts of 2003, losing a close decision many
feel he should’ve won. For the contingent of casual fans
who tune in expecting jumping kicks, spinning back fists, and
all the staples of Hong Kong cinema, Sudo won’t disappoint.
Freak show or not, his submission victory over the 375 lb. Eric
“Butterbean” Esch in Japan two months ago was a testament
to the validity of cross-training.
Curiously,
Sudo rejected an offer to rematch Ludwig and instead opted for
Mike Brown, a Team Elite member who boasts an impressive record
against less-than-notable opposition. Brown’s sole loss
comes to UFC frontrunner Hermes Franca in 2001. Brown brings
in good wrestling and submission ability.
Odds
On: For all his flash, Sudo has substance. Look for a submission
duel between these two, with the more experienced Sudo locking
one on.
Heavyweight
Bout
Wes “Cabbage” Correira vs. Mike Kyle
The
Lowdown: The bulbous “Cabbage” may not win any bodybuilding
contests, but he packs more than enough Hawaiian punch to make
up for it. The island native busted open the head of “Tank”
Abbott like a pinata, possibly providing the chorus for Abbott’s
swan song in the UFC. Before that, he looked impressive in a
KO of Sean Alvarez. And while it’s never really healthy
to prove it, Cabbage’s chin was battle-tested in a prolonged
beating at the hands of Tim Sylvia.
Kyle
enjoys the KO bombs just as much. His losses are thanks to Paul
Buentello and Dan Bobish. Kyle cut his teeth in the West Coast
feeder shows and is looking to make a good first impression.
Coming from Frank Shamrock’s den, he certainly won’t
be lacking ammunition in a ground war.
Odds
On: When two sluggers start in on each other, it may be simply
a matter of who takes the wrong hit at the right time. Unfortunately
for Kyle, it would take a wrecking ball to faze Correira. “Cabbage”
by TKO.
Heavyweight
Bout
Jonathan Wiezorek vs. Wade Shipp
The
Lowdown: The best thing about two fighters making their UFC debuts
is that first-time jitters will be on an even keel.
Submission
worker Wiezorek boasts a perfect record, including a win over
UFC pioneer Dan Severn. While Severn is certainly not fit for
the current elite, he’s also a hard guy to put away.
Shipp
is a well-rounded, durable heavyweight with time put in at the
feeder shows.
Odds
On: We’ll see who can ignore the crowd and TV lights and
get down to business. Shipp by TKO.
Welterweight
Bout
Chris Lytle vs. Tiki Ghosn
The
Lowdown: Lytle traded bombs with Robbie Lawler in November, suffering
a decision in his UFC debut. He rebounded with a quick submission
win over Pete Spratt. Lytle is comfortable in all ranges.
Ghosn
comes in with an unimpressive record of 0-3 in the Octagon, but
managed to take control of a bout against the respected Ronald
Jhun late last year. Were it not for his affiliation with pugilism
poster child Tito Ortiz, it’s doubtful Ghosn’s spotty
record would have warranted another appearance.
Odds
On: Unless Ghosn has radically changed his game - which was sorely
lacking - Lytle would seem to have the skill advantage. Lytle
by submission.
Lightweight
(155 lb. and under) Bout
Yves Edwards vs. Hermes Franca
The
Lowdown: The lightweight division in the UFC continues to stagnate,
capped off by a dismal draw between BJ Penn and Caol Uno in 2003,
a fight that was intended to decide a new champion.
With
Penn moving up to welterweight, the new entrant on the leaderboard
seems to be Hermes Franca, a ground wiz coming from American
Top Team. Franca KOed Uno and then lost a close decision to Josh
Thomson, another bout that delivered controversy.
Edwards
is a power puncher and a longtime entrant into the lightweight
top ten. He grabbed morbid attention early in his career after
breaking the soft palate of two opponents, but the step up in
competition has often resulted in lackluster distance bouts.
Odds
On: Close, but Franca is performing at a higher level than Edwards
right now, and probably wants to erase the Thomson bout from
memory. Franca by decision.
Source: Maxfighting |
Vitor
Belfort: Lucky, Merciful and Ready
By Josh Gross
LOS
ANGELES, Calif. -- In town for a series of teaching seminars
at the Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club, UFC light-heavyweight champion
Vitor Belfort sat down with MaxFighting.com Wednesday evening
for an extensive interview.
The
sometimes-quiet Brazilian held nothing back, particularly when
talk turned to whom his next opponent should be, facing Randy
Couture for a third time, and the Tito Ortiz-Chuck Liddell showdown,
which takes place a week from today. (Belfort says he planned
to attend, but won’t because Zuffa didn’t invite him.)
MaxFighting:
What’s the latest news about your sister?
Vitor
Belfort: We’re going to give a reward. The police will start
to offer a reward for people; we’ll see if something happens.
MF:
How’s your mother holding up?
Belfort:
For the situation she’s doing good, but it’s hard.
MF:
Everyone wanted you to immediately jump back in the ring after
beating Randy, but you had to step back. Is it tough to concentrate
on your next fight?
Belfort:
I know all the fans aren’t going to understand that. I don’t
wish what I’m going through on no one. It’s terrible.
So my sister disappeared like three weeks before the fight. Even
the UFC gave me a chance to back down. I said, “No, I made
a commitment. I will do it. I’m a professional and I’ll
do what I’m supposed to do. It’s not your guy’s
fault. It’s not my fault. So I have to do it.” I did
and right after they say, “Vitor, we want you to fight again.”
I was very true with them. I said, “Listen, I want to fight
Vanderlei,” because Dana (White) said the winner would fight
the winner of PRIDE. That’s what Dana told me. But after
Dana told me, “PRIDE doesn’t want to do business with
us. They don’t want to send Sakuraba here. So we’re
not going to send you over there.”
I
felt like I’m not going to have my opportunity. They said
they want a rematch and all the fans want a rematch [with Couture].
For me I’d love to give a rematch for him but I think it
was a time to do a fight like everybody wants to see with me
and Vanderlei. They say there’s no way for it to happen
so I say, fine. So they asked me if I want to do a rematch with
Randy and I said of course I will. They asked me to do it in
June or July. I said no way. I want to train for at least three
months for my next fight. Because I want to put my best. I don’t
want to just go there. I’m defending a title right now.
I’m a champ so I must have the respect, not just from the
fans but from everybody. I deserve to have time to train. And
I’m going through a hard thing in life, a very hard situation
to handle. I think I handle myself pretty good.
It’s
going to be two months after my fight. Right now I’m not
training, man. I’m just trying to resolve those problems.
It’s hard to concentrate, so I have to take my time out.
I was kind of depressed a little bit. I wasn’t ready to
start training yet. I was out of the earth. So I find my way
back again. I’ve been praying a lot for the lord to be merciful
and give me strength back to go back on track and find myself.
Because I’m going to have to get away from everything again.
I’ve got to be ready mentally, physically and spiritually
to do this again. Like I said, what’s the worse that could
happen? They find my sister dead. So it would be resolved. But
the hardest point is we don’t have a clue. This was killing
us. If she’s dead, okay, I’ve got to live myself. But
it’s hard because everyday you’re waiting for a phone
call. People call: “Okay, I think we found something.”
And the police go there and it’s nothing. It’s hard.
And
I know Randy understands that and everybody understands that.
I heard that a lot of people were talking shit on the Internet
saying, “Vitor doesn’t want to fight. Give a rematch.”
I don’t want to give a rematch because they’re supposed
to do the winner of this fight, fights the winner of PRIDE. You
heard that. You know that. But they didn’t. They say, “Oh,
we’re not going to do that.” I was upset a little bit
because if Randy beat me the same way I beat him, they wouldn’t
give a rematch. They wouldn’t give a rematch; they know
that. This doesn’t mean I’m not going to fight Randy.
I’m willing to give a rematch to him, but I thought when
we were going to have the deal we were supposed to have. But
they backed off. I don’t know why. I’m here, ready
to fight anyone. I just need three months, so I didn’t say
no. I’m ready, man.
All
these people talking crap on the Internet don’t know what
they’re talking. I don’t know who put that. …
MF:
Have you watched Vanderlei a lot? … What do you think of
him now compared to when you fought him?
Belfort:
The same, man. A brawler. He likes to punch and knee.
MF:
Do you think he has skills or only likes to brawl?
Belfort:
Of course, he improved himself just like I did. If you watch
my fights, I never kicked. I never kneed. Now I’m improving.
I think he’s improved on the ground, not on the top. On
the top, he’s the same. He just, I think, improved his ground
game a little.
MF:
What happened when you fought him?
Belfort:
Just like you saw. … Many things happened in that fight.
If you count the punches you know many things happened in that
fight. … That’s how fighting is. If you have the opportunity
you gotta go for it. That’s when you have instinct of fighting.
You cannot leave your opportunity.
A
lot of people say, “Oh, man, it wasn’t fair.”
Listen, one thing I want to tell people: When I had Randy on
the fence I could have pushed him and gone after him. But I saw
his face like he was in pain. I like Randy personally. I think
he’s a very nice guy, a gentleman. So I felt bad when I
saw the blood and his face. So I feel like I don’t want
to push him and go after him. I knew something was wrong. So
I just stayed there and watched him. And the referee stopped
the fight. If I was a guy who didn’t care I would have pushed
him. He was in a bad situation there. I don’t see people
promoting that Victor is very merciful, very nice, a gentleman.
People just like to talk crap. “Hey, Victor is scared, he
doesn’t want to fight or give a rematch. Bla, bla, bla.”
See the good side of a situation.
I
just want people to think about it. Just think about it. In my
situation, what would you do? If you were Vitor Belfort, would
you fight Vanderlei, the guy who people say is the No. 1 in Japan.
Or would you fight Randy, who you just beat.
I’m
going to fight everyone. I’m going to fight Chuck. I’m
going to fight Tito. I’m going to have to fight everyone.
I don’t have to rush.
MF:
Do you feel that sometimes people forget how young you are?
Belfort:
You know, it’s funny. Every time I step into the Octagon
it’s like I have to prove something. They’re never
satisfied. Some people, they’re never satisfied. “This
is lucky. He was lucky. Lucky. Lucky. Lucky …” So what?
If I’m lucky I want to be lucky my whole life. I think people
should have more respect, more understanding of the situation.
A lot of the people talking don’t understand life. First,
the situation I’m going through. Second, I gotta look to
my best interest because nobody looks to my best interest besides
myself. I’ve been at the bottom and I’ve been at the
top. I know how it feels to be on the bottom. People don’t
care. But when you’re at the top it’s “hey champ
… hey man, you’re my favorite.” But when you’re
at the bottom they look at you: “you were good that fight,
but hey remember that loss.” I was the youngest. At 19-years-old
I was the champion of the UFC. So I think people [have high expectations].
… I’m not a robot. I’m a human being. I have feelings.
I have weakness. Like every human being, they have this. The
only difference with me is I’m not afraid to show my weakness,
a bad situation in my life, I’m not feeling well. …
Like
when I lost to Sakuraba I had surgery two weeks before the fight
and I went to fight him. When I fought Chuck, I just trained
for two weeks. I was in four months in a reality show and I took
two weeks to train. People don’t care. If you lose you lose.
I don’t like to give excuses. So now, I want to put myself
in a situation where I know how it feels to be a champion. When
you’re a champion people always want you to prove something.
I’m just doing my job. What do they want me to do: step
in the ring and prove something. So I’m making sure I can
step in the ring and give my best because people don’t care
about my personal life. That’s what I’m feeling sometimes.
People don’t care what I’m going through right now.
I don’t see support. I don’t see nothing. I just see
people complaining. “Hey, Victor’s not fighting.”
Come on. … It’s good for me to talk because a lot of
people talk for me. I know a lot of fans support me, but I know
a lot of people are putting stuff because they don’t know.
I’m just saying that to make them think. … The problem
is our mouth. Sometimes we say things and we don’t think.
And after we realize that “oh, man, I made a mistake. I
think I rushed too much to say that stuff.” …
Randy
was acting like the Captain of America. I don’t know. I
think everybody was saying he was going to beat me and fight
Vanderlei. But sometimes in life we gotta be humble and look
to ourselves. … I don’t want to make plans. …
I’m a fighter, I have to think this way. Promoters don’t
think that way. … If fighters think like promoters, they
lose.
MF:
You know both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz really well. You fought
Chuck and trained for Tito, so you broke him down and put together
a game plan. Is there anything you feel is going to be a difference
maker?
Belfort:
I think it can end with a knockout or on the floor pounding each
other. Basically, however goes on his back is going to lose the
fight. Tito can surprise with his strikes. Chuck is not scared
of punching at all. He goes forward. Tito has much more to lose
then Chuck because he’s talking all the crap. I think Chuck
is very humble right now. He learned a lesson I think. When you
talk you have to prove and it’s bad when you don’t
prove. That’s how life is. The more you talk the more responsibility
you have to do it. So the less you speak, you be humble, it doesn’t
matter if things go bad or good. People always respect you, which
is a good way to live I think. …
Hopefully
it will be a good fight.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Silva
Back in Training, a New Rua Brother Coming Up, Schembri Heading
for Chute Boxe, 4th Shooto Brazil Cancelled and Barreto Back
to HEAT!
The
Brazilian Beat:
By Eduardo Alonso
As the Brazilian Beat is back in business a lot of happenings
started to happen lately in the Brazilian MMA scene, making this
writer avid to write another piece of news to keep you posted
on the latest from the most important MMA country on South America.
The worldwide famous Chute Boxe team was the center of attention
this past week in Brazil as plenty of happenings took place,
from Belt ceremonies to Wanderlei Silva resuming his training
after a vacation, reaching its peak with PRIDE veteran Nino Schembri
taking his ground skills to the city of Curitiba for a new experience
in his career. Another important piece of news saw the 4th edition
of Shooto Brazil being postponed with no certain date set yet,
leaving a number of good fighters waiting to show their talent
on the rings. Besides that yet a new show is in the making in
Brazil and HEAT FC continues to prepare its 3rd edition as a
seasoned veteran in Barreto is once again ready to battle. So,
let's not delay things anymore and go straight to the news as
FCF brings the beat one more time in the so famous Brazilian
style!
PRIDE Middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva resumed his well-deserved
vacation getting back to training this last week. Silva was enjoying
his family in a short vacation after his victorious participation
at PRIDE BUSHIDO 2, and took the chance of a Chute Boxe belt
ceremony to get back to action. During the ceremony Silva had
the chance to spar against Jose Sanson, who is the newest Chute
Boxe black belt, testing him in both Muay Thai and freestyle
sparring. Sanson by the way is the only male brother of Ana Paula
Sanson, who happens to be Murilo Ninja's fiancé. The "Axe
Murderer" is now training hard and getting ready for the
coming challenges that PRIDE may present him, such as the rumored
match up against Yuki Kondo.
At
the same ceremony Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Chute Boxe Jiu-Jitsu
teacher took the chance to graduate Rafael Cordeiro with his
Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Cordeiro is responsible for much of the
success of Chute Boxe alongside with his master Rudimar Fedrigo,
and was a long time brown belt already, have been training the
"Smooth Art" for 12 years. He joins now Wanderlei Silva
as the only two Jiu-Jitsu black belts at Chute Boxe, apart from
Cristiano of course.
Speaking
of Chute Boxe, young sensation Murilo Ninja Rua is already recovered
from his shin injury suffered recently, and has been back to
training preparing for a likely appearance at the PRIDE Heavyweight
Grand Prix, this coming April. One interesting note is that at
the Chute Boxe belt ceremony his younger brother, Marcos Rua
was graduated as a Light Blue Stripe Chute Boxe belt. Marcos,
who is the younger brother of Shogun and Ninja, joined Muay Thai
training just recently, and has showing so much talent that he
jumped straight from "No Belt" to Light Blue stripe!
At the Chute Boxe belt system the fighter starts with no belts,
going to red stripe, the red belt and only then reaching light
blue stripe, going to show a new talent is on the rise and the
years to come may see yet another Rua to give opponents a hard
time!
Continuing
on the Chute Boxe subject, the biggest happening this week on
the Brazilian scene was the arriving of PRIDE veteran Nino "Elvis"
Schembri to the Chute Boxe headquarters! Nino got to Curitiba
this Tuesday to spend a period of training at the famous academy,
where he will improve his Muay Thai techniques and MMA style,
while share a bit of his famous Jiu-Jitsu skills with the team.
At this point it's still unclear whether Nino will officially
join the team and represent them in MMA or only spend a certain
time training with his friends. Schembri is a close friend of
Jorge Guimaraes, his manager, who is Rudimar Fedrigo's partner
at MECA Vale-Tudo, sharing a close friendship as well. One thing
is certain, this is bound to help both sides in future competitions!
In
what caught some of the Brazilian MMA scene by surprise the 4th
edition of Shooto Brazil was postponed Tuesday. The show was
originally scheduled for April 16th, however a number of logistic
problems made it impossible for the promoters to come trough
with the show, and it was better to postpone. The new date hasn't
been decided yet, but the show is believed to take place in the
month of May.
UFC
Veteran Amaury Bitetti just got elected by a Brazilian MMA magazine
the best absolute Jiu-Jitsu black belt from the 90's! Bitetti
has been living in the USA for a while already, and now got back
to Brazil for a quick vacation and to take the chance to promote
the 3rd edition of his own MMA show this coming April 1st in
Natal. Amaury's plans include getting back to America this coming
April 4th.
A
new show is being planned to debut in Brazil soon. Vitoria Extreme
Fight is schedule to take place this coming May 29th, in the
city of Vitoria as the name mentions. Vitoria is the capital
of the state of Espirito Santo, on the southeast region of Brazil
near Rio de Janeiro and the word Vitoria in Portuguese means
Victory. The show plans to attract more interest to MMA in yet
another capital, and will count with MECA veteran Rafael Capoeira
facing Jiu-Jitsu stand out Eduardo Jamelao in the main event
of the card. FCF will keep an eye on the developments.
PRIDE
and UFC veteran Carlos Barreto will be back to HEAT FC in its
third edition. The Brazilian Top Team member who defeated Ben
Rothwell by KO at HEAT FC 1 and lost a decision to Travis Wiuff
at HEAT FC 2 will be facing yet another American fighter, still
to be announced. Although he said on an interview to the Brazilian
press that Mike Whitehead would be his opponent, Mike was never
contacted and it looks like Barreto will be facing a KOTC veteran
on the upcoming HEAT card, joining Ebenezer Braga and Eric Tavares,
from Ruas Vale Tudo, who will also be facing King Of The Cage
veterans in Keith Jardine and Diego Sanchez on April 30th.
Speaking
of HEAT FC 3, as time runs by and the date of the show approaches
the card is being defined and HEAT veteran Paulo Guerreiro Barros
is now officially out of the show. Barros has a commitment with
the AFC coming up in early May and won't be able to fight at
HEAT FC 3. Some names that are likely to be on the show are also
Brazil Super Fight veteran Leonardo Souza and Pentagon Combat
veteran Jalmir "Buda" Ferreira. Also, world champion
BJJ black belt Fredson Paixão will be making his MMA debut
on the HEAT FC 3 card as well as some other surprises.
Source: FCF |
Cláudio
Godoy faces Tank in Boxing
In
a Vale-Tudo confront that would drive the audience nut in Brazil,
Cláudio Godoy and Jefferson Tank will meet at the first
trial of Luvas de Ouro (Golden Gloves) Boxing tournament. The
event is promoted by São Paulo Federation of Boxing. The
competition will join eight super-heavyweight fighters (under
91kg). The winner will advance to the next step on May 18th,
with finals happening on May 25th.
"Its
gonna be a great fight and it will make me stronger for Vale-Tudo,"
comments Godoy, who has been training Boxing for three years.
Godoy is Kid Jofre tournament champion in 2001, and he wonders
a chance to represent Brazil in Athens. "My teacher André
Lopes is all about that. It will depend of the Vale-Tudo calendar.
I really enjoy fighting Boxing, " stated the BTT athlete,
who represents Center Fight in Boxing.
Tank
(Kid Jofre) trusts in his Muay Thai to KO Godoy. "As I come
from Muay Thai and him from Jiu-Jitsu, I guess it will be better
for me. Besides that, I have been Boxing every Tuesday,"
explains Tank, who is classified for the Forja dos Campeões
final next Tuesday (30). The qualification came two days ago,
when Tank applied his second KO, this time over Antônio
Carlos Oliveira (Center Fight). In the end, Jefferson Tank will
face Geovanni Touzano, from Combat Sports.
Source: Tatame |
Heat
3: Fredson Paixão Vs Rany its on
BJJ black belt Fredson Paixão will debut in Vale-Tudo
against an old submission friend, the fighter from Brasília
Rany Yahrya. The confront has been just confirmed by the Heat
Fighting Championship 3 that will be held in Natal (RN) on April
30th. During the Submission, they did one of the super-fights
of 3rd Supercampeonato Cyclone de Submission, that was held last
year, with Rany victory by points. Besides that fight, Heat has
confirmed local vet idol Jalmir Ferreira Buda facing Luis Leão
da Paraíba Alberto.
Check
out the fighters confirmed until now (subject to changes):
-
Ebenezer Braga (RVT) Vs Keith Jardin;
- Carlão Barreto (BTT) Vs um americano a ser definido;
- Eric Tavares (RVT) Vs Diego Sanchez;
- Jalmir Buda (Buda Team) Vs Luis Alberto Leão;
- Fredson Paixão (GBCT) Vs Rani Yahrya (Athaide Jr.);
- Lucas Lopes (Kimura) Vs Fabiano Capoane (BTT).
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"It is far more impressive when others discover your good
qualities without your help."
Judith Martin/Miss Manners |
Amatuer
Shooto Tonight!
Campbell High School
Gym
7:00PM
For tickets call 479-8183 or 306-9326
Also available at Jesus Is Lord Gym or
808 Fight Factory Gym (next door to Jesus Is Lord Gym) see Bill
Kamaka
Tentative
Fight Card
Edmund Li (Freelance) Vs. Brandon Antonio (Jesus Is Lord) 143
Eric Pajdak(Kauai) Vs. Thane Fowler (Jesus Is Lord) 183
Alan Alcarez (Animal House) Vs. X Sequioa (808 Fight Factory)
167
Tony Degamo (HMC) VS. Gerald Arevalo (808 Fight Factory) 132
TJ Kuahine (Jesus Is Lord Gym) Vs. Russ PoiPoi (Kenpo Unlimited)
150
Aaron Okura (Freelance) Vs. Bryan Mau (Kenpo Unlimited) 155
Ryan Cabinian (Casca Grossa) 140 Vs. TBA
Ivan Jennings (808) 140 Vs. TBA
Kimo (Freelance) VS TBA 150
Kelii Kenney (808) Vs. TBA 183
Dean (HMC) Vs. TBA 167
Kai "Bad Boy" Kamaka Vs. TBA 60lbs
Kickboxing Matches to be Added!!
*Card Subject to Change*
|
Catching
up With KOTC Champ JOHN ALESSIO
Submitted by: Keith Mills
King
of the Cage Welterweight Champion John Alessio fought in “Enter
the Beast” in Canada on March 6th where he defeated Brandon
Olsen by armbar officially at 3:00 of round 1. Alessio’s
last KOTC fight in January against American Top Team’s Jorge
Santiago had to be cancelled when John was injured. Jorge would
have been John’s first Welterweight title defense since
taking it from Ronald
Jhun in
September which if John won would have broken what some refer
to as a curse on the KOTC Welterweight belt since in the history
of the belt it hasn’t been successfully defended since the
first time it was relinquished three years ago. Now Alessio and
Santiago are set to fight in June on KOTC’s next pay-per-view
event. John is also the former KOTC Superfight Champion and vet
of Pride, SuperBrawl, and UCC (now TKO).
KM:
You snuck a fight in on me. How did it go? JA: It was an event
back in my home so I really wanted to do it. I won by armbar.
KM:
I only read one account of that where it said he got your back,
you got out of it, and you got the armbar. That is about all
I know. JA: He shot a single leg, we scrambled for a while, I
went for a triangle and he got out of that, he kind of stuck
to side mount for a little while, I bailed out and gave him my
back, spun into his guard, passed his guard, side mounted him,
took his back, and then went over the top for an armbar.
KM:
By winning it that way with him taking your back and then you
taking his was that a sense of accomplishment? JA: I gave him
my back. I gave him my back to get out of there. I knew he wasn’t
going to choke me out.
KM:
That was your first submission win in two years (note: KOTC 12
rear choke 2/9/02). JA: Might be.
KM:
I was wondering if that was something you were working on. JA:
Always have been. I’ve been non-stop working (submissions).
Most of my fights have been either by knockout or submission.
Lately I had two decisions but I love going for submissions.
KM:
Last I knew you doing more boxing and we were talking about the
boxing show that didn’t turn out but with this Santiago
fight coming up in June I wasn’t sure if you were going
to train any differently. JA: No, just continue to train hard.
Work my ground game in case it goes there but really work to
keep the fight on the feet.
KM:
Do you still think the same of Jorge Santiago? JA: Yes. I don’t
really know much about him. He comes from a good camp and you
can’t take him lightly. I don’t take him lightly at
all, he’s a black belt. From what I hear he kind of likes
to stand up a little bit. We’ll see.
KM:
Before you were talking about not disrespecting him because he
comes from a good camp but that he didn’t necessarily deserve
a title shot yet. Since then he beat Cronk and Wada. Has that
perception changed? JA: He beat John Cronk who is a decent fighter.
No, not really…I guess he deserves a chance. My job is to
defend the belt, whoever they put in front of me is who I’ll
fight.
KM:
I heard you fractured your collar bone? JA: Separated it. It’s
fine.
KM:
Was it healed before this last fight? JA: Half way through training
it healed up. I didn’t train that long for this fight. I’m
100% now.
KM:
How did it feel to fight back in Canada again? JA: Awesome. I
had a great time, got to see my family and friends again. Mainly
the best part was fighting in front of them.
KM:
Has your level of support changed since the last time you fought
up there (4/13/02)? JA: I get great support from up there. My
family sold 150 tickets then my friends bought tickets from ticket
outlets and stuff. I had great support; the crowd went crazy,
I did an autograph session, sold my t-shirts…it was a cool
thing.
KM:
I really do think spreading a fanbase is essential to name recognition
and therefore chances to move up in this sport. Any plans to
go back to Canada again? JA: I’d love to. I hope the promoter
puts on another show again because I brought two of my teammates
and they did good. It was an outlet to get me a fight and my
teammates too to keep them busy.
KM:
What Bad Intentions fighters fought and how did they do? JA:
Randy Velarde won, his guy wouldn’t come out for the third
round. Donovan Vrem made his NHB debut. He’s forty years
old. (Nore: win submission 4th round 1:11).
KM:
How is the rest of the team doing? JA: Chad Davis won his last
fight in KOTC. He’ll be fighting again in September and
then we’re looking at a 185 title shot for him. We got a
whole slew of guys that are looking to make their debut or have
one fight type of thing. They are a big part of the team because
they help everybody get ready, they will get their chance.
KM:
Does Bad Intentions have their own website? JA: No but that is
something I’m trying to get done right now. I’m hoping
to have one by the summer. Other than that I’ll just keep
people posted on the Underground.
KM:
Any chance you would take a fight between now and the Santiago
one in June? JA: My doors are open as long as its thirty days
before my other fight. I can take a fight in the next couple
of weeks if one became available.
KM:
What is the minimum amount of time you need? JA: I’m still
in shape but normally I’d like to not take a fight without
four weeks of training.
KM:
So thirty days out would be May 12th. So it’s either next
two weeks or so since you are in shape, early to mid May, or
we won’t see you fight until June 12th. JA: That is right.
KM:
Since you don’t have your own website up yet should I say
for more information check out Millennia Jiu-Jitsu’s website
or the Octagon? JA: Millennia has more updates on the team.
For
more information check out http://www.millenniajiujitsu.com/.
Source: ADCC |
Dean
Lister signs with Pride!
By: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME
Dean
Lister, the great American sensation at the Submission Wrstling
World Championships, known as the ADCC 2003, is back in the news.
Last May, Lister, defeated 3 big favorites in the absolute category
tocapture the Absolute crown: Saulo Ribeiro, Márcio 'Pé
de Pano' Cruz and Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira. Next in ADCC,
Lister will face Ricardo Arona in the Superfight at ADCC 2005.
With
an MMA resume of 6 wins and 2 defeats, all them in King of the
Cage, Dean Lister has been turning into one of the big names
of the american MMA world, just waiting for a chance to fight
in a bigger event.
And
finally his chance has arrived!! Lister has signed a contract
for 6 fights in Pride and soon he will do his debut in the Japanese
event:
Lister
speaks 'Things are going really good here. I´ve been training
real hard in order to get ready for the Pride, which is gonna
be awesome!!'
Obviously,
one of the biggest attractions would be a match under MMA rules
with Ricardo Arona. 'I don´t have any personal desire of
fighting against anyone in Pride, I would fight against all of
their fighters. I feel strong and motivated and should be fighting
in a few months.' concludes the Machine!
Source: ADCC |
The
Wedding of RICARDO LIBORIO!
ATT
legend Ricardo Libório got married in Florida last weekend!
By: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME
One
of the leaders of American Top Team, Ricardo Libório,
has gotten married this last Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, USA.
The cerimony took place at a beautiful hotel with the presence
of many friends, including his partners and buddies from ATT
and BTT's Murilo Bustamante, who traveled to the USA in order
to be at the wedding.
Source: ADCC |
Grapplers
Quest U.s. Nationals of Grappling featuring TEAM U.S.A. Trials
by: Brian Cimins
Saturday,
May 22nd, 2004
Marist High School
Bayonne, New Jersey
Download
tournament information at:
http://www.grapplers.com/article_images/gqus04.doc
Pre-Reg
Online and Save up to $20, go to:
http://www.grapplers.com/store/online_registration.cfm?tour=2
MEN’S
TEAM U.S.A. TRIALS:
Lightweight:
149.9 lbs. and below:
- Jeff Glover, Paragon BJJ
- Mike Mrkulic, Royler Gracie/David Adiv USA
- David Jacobs, Yamasaki Jiu Jitsu
- Leonardo 'The Wizard' Xavier, Saulo Ribeiro Black Belt
Welterweight:
150-169.9 lbs.:
- Shawn Williams, Team Renzo Gracie Black Belt
Middleweight:
170-184.9 lbs.:
- Joe D'Arce, Team Renzo Gracie Black Belt
Light-Heavyweight:
185-204.9 lbs.:
- Rick Macauley, Balance Studios/Hassett's
Heavyweight:
205 lbs. and over:
- Rick
Miglarese, Balance Studios
Send
Grappling Resumes to Brian Cimins at: President@grapplers.com
Source: ADCC |
2004
Pan-Ams - Dolphins invade Raider Nation! ! ! American Top Team
at the Pan-Ams
Word
is that Black Belt Marcos 'Parrumpinha' will be leading the American
Top Team's attack on Pan-Am Gold. The team, coached by 'Parrumpinha',
will have amongst others, Edson Diniz, Andre 'Gigueto' Soares,
Renato Tavares & a couple dozen of ATT's best. Miami based
ATT comes to take the Raiders Gold!
Kid
wants to know if this will be his friend's Jeff Monson's Gi debut
: )!
Source: ADCC |
Wes
Sims & Kevin Randleman
Vs Jeff Monson & Wade Rome
HOOKnSHOOT
has signed as last minute match that is sure to turn some heads.
With
their recent surge in popularity with Tag Team Submission Wrestling,
HnS will be doing a four-team tournament this Saturday. In additional
to the tournament a superfight has been signed.
WES
"THE PROJECT" SIMS and KEVIN "THE MONSTER"
RANDLEMAN
will take on American Top Team's
WADE ROME and JEFF "SNOWMAN" MONSON
Everyone
is aware of the extreme power and aggression that both Randleman
and Sims can produce.
On
the other side, Wade Rome is an accomplished heavyweight grappler
in his own right! Monson also needs no introduction as he has
placed and even won several ADCC championships.
What
are the factors? Hmnmmm, just as in pro wrestling, you can double
team your opponent for five seconds when you make a tag.
Don't
forget, the theatrics and gimmicks of pro wrestling are strongly
encouraged for a good time by both fans and fighters.
This
is sure to be a crowd pleaser and give a last minute boost to
the show which is up against the Evansville Bluecats season opener
(the city's semi-pro football team).
Tickets
will be available at the Evansville Coliseum Box Office starting
at 6PM (Central Time) this Saturday.
DON'T
MISS THE NEXT LEVEL OF COMBAT SPORTS......HOOKnSHOOT!
Source: Event promoter |
J.G.'s
"Mostly Liddell-Ortiz" Mailbag
By Josh Gross
You can
always tell when a big fight is on the horizon. The emails come
in fast and furious, and they tend to focus on one topic. With
eight days to go before Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell finally
step into the Octagon (in my final editorial for FightSport magazine
I jokingly wrote that Ortiz would get injured a week before they
were set to fight in the spring -- let’s hope I’m wrong)
much of this mailbag focuses on the pending showdown.
Can
Liddell survive on his back? Is one fighter hungrier than the
other? How’d Tito look in front of the media? Who am I picking?
All that plus a couple of emails on my pound-for-pound list.
Enjoy.
LIDDELL’S
GROUND GAME WILL GROUND HIM
I
think Ortiz will win this fight. I think he should take Liddell
down, but I think he may have to wait until the second round
when Chuck will probably be out of gas. For the first round I
think he'll be fine standing up. Liddell has faced two fighters
in a row with limited striking experience but good fundamental
boxing skills. Both of those fighters dominated him. The simple
hands high, chin down, elbows in style of Jackson and Couture
is what Tito will come in with and it’s the reason he will
beat Liddell and wear him down long enough to take him down where
the real damage can be done. Liddell showed no ground defense
against Jackson and Tito is better down there than Quinton is.
-- No Name Given
If
Liddell fights an extended portion of this fight from his back,
it’ll most likely result in a loss. From the top (especially
inside the guard or half guard) there are only a handful of fighters
that can hold a candle to Ortiz’ ground-and-pound résumé.
Fundamentally,
Ortiz might throw crisper combinations and display better footwork
than Liddell. But put an opponent across from him who will present
a target just to position for attacks of his own and any sort
heavy-bag-hitting confidence will fall on its head.
This
fight will come down to one facet: the battle in the clinch.
If Ortiz dominates it Liddell will have lost the takedown battle
and will be forced to fight from his back. If Liddell controls
this position, Ortiz will have little chance to win. Unable to
take down Liddell and incapable of fighting a prolonged battle
on the feet, Ortiz’ frustration will either lead him to
mistakes or force him into a shell that sees him doing little
more than trying to wrestle.
(Also,
you forget Liddell’s KO of Alistair Overeem occurred between
his losses to Couture and Jackson. In that bout he showed his
power and an ability to strike through adversity.)
ORTIZ
HUNGRIER THAN LIDDELL?
I
can't wait til' April 2. I think Tito is more hungry now for
Liddell then he would've been had he not lost to Couture, and
the king of the hill isn’t as hungry as the wolf trying
to climb the hill, so, I think Tito is going to take it. Liddell
hasn't tasted the championship quite like Tito so he's not as
hungry! And as far as their combined losses, I do believe that
Tito does learn and take note to all the angles of his losses
more than Liddell! Liddell seems to think that it just wasn't
his day and keeps pushing forward after a loss. A great warrior
attitude that I admire however, however it doesn't sharpen his
skills and prepare him for the same occurrence. Both great fighters,
should prove to be exciting! -- Jay Schriver (Scrub), Kingston
Ont. Canada
At
this point, Tito and Chuck are on an even playing field. Liddell
came back from his TKO loss to Couture with a TKO win against
Overeem. (Yes, he lost to Rampage but we know he can come back
from disappointment.) The last time Tito lost he went unbeaten
for over three years. Both fighters are hungry and both realize
that the loser will be in a terrible spot.
I
think you’re right when you say that Ortiz learns lessons
from his losses. Versus Frank Shamrock the lesson was cardio.
What will the Couture lesson be? Perhaps it’ll be a new-found
belief in his ability to strike. Because he was so insecure on
his feet (he says an injured back had a lot to do with that)
his chances to score a takedown on Couture were severely diminished.
I don’t think he can easily take down Liddell if he doesn’t
force Liddell to move backwards. The best way to do that? Jabs
and straight punches.
In
his corner between the first and second period, Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira was instructed to jab at Mirko Cro Cop in order to force
him backwards. Obviously Nogueira could not last any amount of
time with Cro Cop on the feet, but he could not put him on his
back if he didn’t at least make the Croatian think about
eating a jab or two. Tito needs to approach Liddell in much the
same manner. If not, I don’t know if he can pull it off.
IMPRESSIONS OF ORTIZ’ MEDIA DAY
Overall
I thought your article [on Ortiz’ media day] was well written
and put together. Great journalism! Without being objective,
according to your observation, did Tito look good? Hand speed
... was there any? The gentleman that he was sparring with, was
he pushing Tito ... giving him a hard time? Has Tito worked on
his ground game at all? Just a few questions that you can probably
answer, if not that's ok too. I have seen articles of Chuck’s
training and it sounds like he's invincible and Tito doesn't
have a chance. Thanks for time. -- MMA fan
I
think you want me to be objective here. Tito looked big, much
heavier than he did leading up to the Couture contest. He said
he over-trained for that bout and approached this fight much
differently. It appears like the result is a bigger Ortiz. He
hit the bag well, folding it each time with heavy hooks. The
sparring session was short (they weren't going to show much in
front of the media, in fact Ortiz requested that we shut off
our cameras for the session). Ortiz and his sparring partner,
John David Jackson, danced around the ring for the first two
rounds before really exchanging punches. The emphasis seemed
to be short combinations including body shots. Again, they didn't
show much -- only enough to get a sweat going and give us a glimpse.
Tito didn't grapple at all, but I'm sure he's worked on his ground
game. He'd be foolish not to, and if there's one thing he does
well it's train.
I'm
not sure what articles you've seen that suggest Liddell is some
heavy favorite. In my mind (even after seeing the two and making
a prediction) it's a 50-50 fight.
‘BEATINGS,’
ANYONE?
Did
Tito say ''let the beatings begin'' and did he seem real fired
up? -- No Name Given
If
he said “let the beatings begin” -- and he might have
-- I wasn’t paying attention. I tend to tune out his pro-wrestling
shtick. He didn’t seem too fired up. It was business as
usual for Tito, which is tough to read. I’d bet that he
is excited to end the training and test his skills. But I always
have the feeling that Tito’s thoughts turn to the bad that
can happen rather than the good. If his focus is centered on
where his career might end up if he loses, then he runs the risk
of being too tense in the ring. And if he starts thinking in
the middle of the fight instead of reacting, Tito is in real
trouble.
PREDICTION
TIME
Who
do you got to win the fight? -- No Name Given
Liddell
by split decision.
WHERE’S
THE BABY-FACED ASSASSIN?
Josh
Barnett never gets the respect he deserves -- I would have liked
to see him in the top 10. Nonetheless I understand it’s
hard to make a fair top 10 with so many elite fighters out there.
-- Mark Hazelwood
Josh
is a skilled fighter but doesn't fight nearly enough. It seems
he's made a commitment to professional wrestling, and because
of it may never fully become the fighter I believed him to be
before his suspension for steroids. If he competes in the PRIDE
GP, Barnett could face the likes of Fedor, Nogueira, or Cro Cop.
His performance will go a long way in answering your claims that
he belongs in the list.
SILVA
DOESN’T DESERVE TOP SLOT!
Vanderlei
Silva the number 1 p4p fighter in the world that's absolutely
laughable. I always thought to be considered the best in the
world at any thing you actually have to beat somebody worth beating.
Lets take a look at Silva's high lights, lost to Ortiz, was crushed
by Belfort, then spent the next several years fighting either
nobody's or good solid fighters who where a weight class down
from him. So as far as considering Silva the best pound for pound
fighter in the world sure he deserves it, if he loses about 30
pounds to fight at 185 and can still beat guys like Dan Henderson
or even Sakuraba at that weight. But until that happens I think
you should reconsider your list because as far as I can tell
the best Pound for Pound fighter over the past year is only ranked
at number 3 on your list. But hey maybe you can let me know,
maybe I'm wrong but I always found it way more impressive when
a little guy came up and beat a bigger guy rather than a bigger
guy beating up every body who's smaller and less talented than
him. -- Cam
Tito
Ortiz says Silva is the best light heavyweight in the world.
Ask Rampage what he thinks. Yes, Silva's fought some cupcakes
during his reign as champion, but virtually every fighter in
the game has had walkover bouts. The fact of the matter is Silva's
unbeaten in four years, has defeated grapplers and strikers,
has improved in every facet of the game, owns both the PRIDE
middleweight championship and Grand Prix titles, and wins convincingly.
There's
no doubt Dan Henderson is a fine fighter and deserves to be mentioned
alongside Silva and Penn, but for my money Vanderlei Silva is
the best fighter in the world right now.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"Anybody can become angry - that is easy; but to be angry
with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right
time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way -- that
is not within everybody's power and is not easy."
Aristotle, BC 384-322, Greek Philosopher |
Amatuer
Shooto Weigh-ins Today!
Jesus Is Lord Gym
94-143 Leokane St #201
Waipahu, HI 96797
7:00 PM
The event
is this Friday night at Campbell High School Gym!
For tickets call 479-8183 or 306-9326
Also available at Jesus Is Lord Gym or
808 Fight Factory Gym (next door to Jesus Is Lord Gym) see Bill
Kamaka
Tentative
Fight Card
Edmund Li (Freelance) Vs. Brandon Antonio (Jesus Is Lord) 143
Eric Pajdak(Kauai) Vs. Thane Fowler (Jesus Is Lord) 183
Alan Alcarez (Animal House) Vs. X Sequioa (808 Fight Factory)
167
Tony Degamo (HMC) VS. Gerald Arevalo (808 Fight Factory) 132
TJ Kuahine (Jesus Is Lord Gym) Vs. Russ PoiPoi (Kenpo Unlimited)
150
Aaron Okura (Freelance) Vs. Bryan Mau (Kenpo Unlimited) 155
Ryan Cabinian (Casca Grossa) 140 Vs. TBA
Ivan Jennings (808) 140 Vs. TBA
Kimo (Freelance) VS TBA 150
Kelii Kenney (808) Vs. TBA 183
Dean (HMC) Vs. TBA 167
Kai "Bad Boy" Kamaka Vs. TBA 60lbs
Kickboxing Matches to be Added!!
*Card Subject to Change*
|
Maui's
Super Brawl 34 Pay Per View moved to Monday Night 8:00pm, CH.
256
Sunday night March 28th, the Maui War Memorial will host Super
Brawl's 34th mixed martial arts spectacle. In another first for
Hawaii's #1 fight promotion, the event will air on a one day
(Monday, March 29) tape delay basis on Oceanic Digital Channel
256 at 8:00pm. The price will be $19.95. The event will begin
occur on Sunday night at the Maui War Memorial. Play by play
and color commentary wil be handled by Relson Gracie brown belt,
Mike Onzuka and Super Brawl producer, T.Jay Thompson. Ring announcing,
as always, will be handled by the "Voice of Super Brawl",
Tommy Dakota.
The event will be headlined by Falaniko Vitale, fresh of his
dominant victory over former UFC champion Dave Menne in Super
Brawl 33. His opponent "Bad Boy" Keith Winters will
be flying in from Phoenix, Arizona to square of with the #1 ranked
Super Brawl middleweight. Also on the card will be 808 Fight
Factory's Harris Sarmiento, "Ice Kold" Kolo Koka, Justin
Mercado, Kaipo Kalama and many other fighters from Oahu, Maui
and the Mainland.
If
you don't have Oceanic's digital cable box, now is the time to
get one!
Better yet, get there in person to see some of Hawaii's heavy
hitters in action! |
Super
Brawl 34 Fight Card
Maui War Memorial
Wailuku, Maui
Sunday,
March 28
Super Brawl
Rules
Illegal
Techniques
·
Groin strikes are illegal
·
Elbow strikes to the head are illegal on the ground
·
Head butting is illegal
·
Kicking, kneeing or stomping the head of a downed opponent (in
prone position) while standing is illegal
Legal
Techniques
·
Take downs and throws are legal
·
Punching and elbowing the head, body and legs is legal, except
as noted under illegal section
·
Knee strikes to the head, body and legs are legal, except as
noted under illegal section
·
Kicking the head, legs and body is legal, except as noted under
illegal section
·
Submissions, joint locks, chokes and pressure point techniques
are legal, except as noted under illegal section
Fight Card
180lbs
1.
Ed Ferreira (Maui Full Contact) Corey Daniels (Niko Vitale)
Two
young aggresive fighters eager to break into the Super Brawl
Oahu show. A win tonight will likely do that. Pick ‘em Even
Odds
185lbs
2.
Tony Espitia Bryson Monterde
(Kona
Boxing) 1-0 (808 Fight Factory 2-0)
Monterde
is aggressive and will not back down. Espitia coming from Kona
Boxing is sure to throw bombs. Pick ‘em Even Odds
145lbs
3.
Adam Alverez (Phoenix, AZ) Justin Mercado (GU, )
This
could be a beauty. Mercado is a golden gloves boxer who also
has a solid ground game. Alverez also has a boxing background
and if he choses to stand in front of Mercado we could see some
fireworks! Mercado 3-1 Odds
185lbs
4.
Kendall Groves (Maui Full Contact) Kaipo Kalama (GU)
Kalama
will look to use his reach advantage and ring experience to carry
him to victory. Groves is a local boy who has a solid wrestling
background who will look to impose his will on Kalama. Kalama
3-2 Favorite
160lbs
5.
Tyson na’hooikaika Kolo Koka
(Maui)
1-0 (Grappling Unlimited 2-0)
Koka
is veteran of many Super Brawls. He has a solid stand-up game
and has rapidly developed his ground arsenal. He will be highly
motivated after losing a decision in Super Brawl 33 to Harris
Sarmiento. Ikaika is on of the best fighters on Maui and will
look to the home crowd to motivate him to victory. Koka 3-2 Favorite
155lbs
6.
Ed West Harris Sarmiento
(Phoenix,
AZ, 4-0) (808 Fight Factory, 10-7)
Sarmiento
is coming off a big tournament victory in Super Brawl 33. He
is a young aggressive fighter who is improving with every bout.
West is another young aggressive fighter who is not afraid to
bang. Being undefeated he will obviously come into this fight
with confidence. Pick ‘em Even Odds
MAIN
EVENT
7.
Keith Winters 195lbs Falaniko Vitale
(Phoenix,
AZ 4-2) (#1 Contender, 16-3)
Vitale
is coming of a HUGE victory over former UFC World Champion Dave
Menne in Super Brawl 33. He has an aggressive style that mixes
powerful punches and kicks with a deadly ground game. Winters
will likely try to get this fight to the ground were he is the
strongest. A win over Vitale would be a big boost to his career.
Vitale 2-1 Favorite
Source:
Promoter
|
KICKIN
IT AGAIN
WHAT: AMATEUR KICKBOXING
WHEN: APRIL 3RD 2004
WHERE: PALAMA SETTLEMENT GYM
TICKETS-$15.00 (pre-sale)
$20.00 (at the door)
AVAILABLE AT ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
If anyone wants to participate in the event or purchase tickets,
they can call Derek Bright at 271-7120 or my partner Doug at
571-6019 (and particpating schools).
KICKIN IT AGAIN LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION MUAY THAI FIGHTER
David Balicao 128# Derek Minn
NANAKULI KICKBOXING LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
Dahwen Bright 45# Triston
NANAKULI KICKBOXING EWA FIGHT CLUB
Dido Rodrigues 60# Kawai
WAIANAE BOXING CLUB EWA FIGHT CLUB
Chad Pavao 120# Bronson Ellis
NANAKULI KICKBOXING ANIMAL HOUSE
Antonio Schmidt 115# Devin Damo
MAKAKILO KICKBOXING ANIMAL HOUSE
Tavis Kagawa 135# Jensen Reece
LAUPAHOEHOE M.T. ANIMAL HOUSE
Jon Texiera 190# Shelton Gurrero
TEAM BAD INTENTIONS HOUSE OF PAIN
Tani Nahalea 160# Pat Menesis
NANAKULI KICKBOXING HOUSE OF PAIN
Joshua Baker 140# Russel Barr
HOUSE OF PAIN H.M.C.
Ula Kamealoha 160# Nick Gega
NANAKULI KICKBOXING LAUPAHOEHOE M.T.
Doug Amaral 200+ Gun Wheeler
TEAM HARD KNOCKS H.M.C.
Justin Dano 150# Greg Kalilikane
NANAKULI KICKBOXING HOUSE OF PAIN
Nick Correa 140# Marcus Marino
MAKAKILO KICKBOXING BULLSPEN
MATCHES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Source: Promoter
|
ARE
YOU RATED?
–
RATED (The Official World Grappling Ratings) Launches Online
Database
The
most successful combative sports in the world (Tae Kwon Do, Judo,
Karate, Boxing USA Wrestling, etc.) have prospered over the years
due to their amazing ability to track competitors’ performances
and reward them with ratings points. The ratings tracking systems
for Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, and Judo have even led to Olympic qualifiers,
leading to most competitors’ dream: The Olympics. Although
Submission Grappling has grown by leaps and bounds over the past
few years, the sport still needs legitimacy, U.S. National and
World Amateur titles. A 3rd party event results page, including
accurate ratings to assist promoters, coaches, and competitors
field their opponents before they step on the mats.
–
The sport also needed to start writing the history books for
the sport, cast-ironing champions of the past, alongside champions
of the future. RATED, The Official World Grappling Ratings, and
effort and project lead and sponsored by Scott Nelson and Alan
Marques (OnTheMat.com) and some of the country’s best promoters
including: Brian Cimins (Grapplers Quest), Ed Clay (Music City
Grappling Championships, GrapplerGear.com and Gameness), Charles
Gracie/Ralph Gracie (Gracie United), Ryan Gregg (World Grappling
Games), Gracie Invitational Europe, Riccardo Ammendolia (Ontario
Submission Wrestling Invitational), Andre Pederneiras (Brazil
- CBJJO), plus many more on the way.
We
believe that with cooperation of event promoters world-wide,
we have developed a system for Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
that will rival any other sport in the world. The organization
promises to not be muddled with politics, rather work on growing
the sport we all have a passion for. RATED will finally give
our beloved sport the world-wide recognition it needs and deserves.
Benefits
of hosting a RATED event:
- Increased number of participants at your event, as they can
earn further World ratings points
- World-wide recognition of your event
- World-wide recognition of all the event’s winners
- Elimination of sandbagging
- Credibility with the various publications, sponsors, instructors,
competitors, etc
- Permanent record of all competition results
Benefits
of competing in a RATED event:
- World-wide recognition of your competition record and profile
- World-wide recognition of all your top placings
- Earn ratings points for each competition you enter
- Credibility with the various Martial Arts publications and
potential sponsors (i.e. I’m the #1 Rated Advanced Grappler
at 169 lbs. in the World)
Promoters
and Competitors world-wide are welcome to visit the official
website of RATED at: http://www.GrapplingRatings.com
RATED
is sponsored by: http://www.OnTheMat.com
Source:
ADCC
|
Chris
Lytle: Taking on All Comers
Chris Lytle is a busy man, but takes a positive attitude into
the demands of a pressing schedule. A full-time firefighter and
father of four, the Indianapolis native is also a veteran mixed
martial artist and professional boxer. With a record of 12-10-4
in MMA, and 9-1-1 (6 KO) in boxing, when Lytle says "I'll
fight anybody," he's not spouting clichés.
Keeping
so many balls in the air is probably what keeps him going; he
doesn't have the time sweat the small stuff. Facing veteran Tiki
Ghosn at April 2 in UFC 47, Lytle is hoping to build off a strong
showing against Robbie Lawler, where he lost a close decision
on the cards but showed versatility and toughness that impressed
those seeing him in action for the first time.
"I'm
just happy because I wanted to get back in the UFC," said
Lytle, whose submission over Pete Spratt in Shooto last January
proved a springboard back into the big time. "I think Tiki's
pretty underrated. People think, 'oh, this guy is terrible because
they only see him in UFC,' but he's beat some good people."
Lytle
has a boxing match scheduled April 9, against Roger Bowden.
"I'm
a little bit stupid," he says with a self-deprecating laugh.
"I've got a boxing match lined up right after UFC."
Training
takes place between 24-hour shifts with the Warren Township fire
department. With two days off between stints at the station,
Lytle trains a mix of boxing and grappling, blending together
MMA and the traditional sweet science depending on the next gig
on his dance card.
"I
train at Ring Sports, and have boxing, kickboxing, grappling
and a little bit of everything," he said. "I'm always
in boxing or (MMA) shape. I like it when I have fights close
together."
He
confesses that some people have his pedigree backward -- many
believed him to be a professional boxer with an amateur background
who got into MMA, but he never had any amateur fights and took
up a pro career on a few months notice on the urging of his trainer
in June 2002.
"I'd
been training boxing less than a month by then, and was already
fighting MMA," he said. Lytle's hand skills troubled Lawler,
as he traded shots effectively before losing the last round in
a tough match.
Lytle
took second in Indiana's 1993 state championships as a 135-pound
wrestler, and his bottom game is solid. For despite his 10 losses,
many were to larger opponents like Dave Menne, Keiichiro Yamamiya,
Jason DeLucia, Daisuke Ishii, and fighting in Japan. He's never
been beaten inside the distance, and with close decision losses
to Lawler and Nick Diaz, and wins over LaVerne Clark (Decision)
and a stoppage of Aaron Riley, close inspection suggests he could
have a much higher profile in the sport given a couple of breaks
his way. But what's done is done, and he doesn't complain about
losses, even the close ones.
It's
that kind of deceptive record that defines Lytle, the everyman
of two fighting sports. Anybody, anytime, anywhere.
Against
Lawler, Lytle showed an effective guard, going for several leg
submissions in the first round that eventually saw Lawler adjust
and keep the fight standing up.
"I
did the ground for about [the] first three years I fought,"
Lytle said. "I didn't do any standup. A lot of people here,
or in Japan, they knew me as a sick ground guy. I realized my
standup was not that good and that I had to work on it. And now,
everybody's thinking I'm basically just a striker!"
Sometimes,
his pride in his striking leads him to take on guys like Spratt
in a standup showdown, even when people are warning him against
it.
"It
was funny because everybody's was like, "You don't want
to stand up with this guy, just take him down,'" he said.
"I kind of felt it was a slap in the face for boxing. I
appreciate people giving me advice, but I'm going to do what
I want to do. I went out and hit him with a left hook and knocked
him back, and he threw a Thai kick right at me and gave me the
takedown. So I took him down and choked him out."
In
a stacked 170-pound division, Lytle says, "It's almost impossible
to rank people. Obviously, you've got BJ Penn at the top, but
it's pretty tough from there." A win against Tiki would
go a long way toward helping him get a rematch, perhaps with
the Lawler-Diaz winner, which would be a fan's match. Lytle's
standup game is a mix of good technique, and well-camouflaged
kicks.
Unlike
boxing, where a manager can snatch up no-hopers to build a fighter's
record, mixed martial arts is a different ballgame. There are
no easy fights, even when the opponent is relatively inexperienced
on paper.
"I
realized that when I fought Nick Diaz," said Lytle, who
dropped a decision to the Cesar Gracie black belt in 2002 at
IFC. "I was supposed to fight Sean Sherk. Right at the very
end, Sherk fell through, and they said, 'Well, it's this guy
named Nick Diaz, he's only had four fights. He's won a bunch
of grappling tournaments.' I got overconfident. I lost a split
decision and I was devastated. I was like, 'I'll quit and just
box.' But I started thinking and realized everybody's so good.
There's no easy fights in MMA."
Lytle
describes his match with Diaz -- who tangles with Lawler on the
same UFC card -- as a hard fought bout, and complimented Diaz
on his ground skills.
"The
first round I went out there and took him down, and worked him
pretty good up top," he said. "In the second he was
on top for quite a bit, and I hit him with a knee that cut up
his eye pretty bad. Then in the third I gassed. He caught me
with a punch and cut me, and we were bleeding all over each other."
He
also says he could've fought differently versus Lawler.
"I
thought it was a real good fight. I learned that I have to try
and make the fight more how I want it to be, I kind of continually
went after him, maybe in hindsight I should've waited for him
to come to me."
At
the end of the interview, it's off to get some needed sleep after
two days of hard training. Wednesday, he's on a 24-hour shift
at the fire station, and then it's back to two days of training.
"I'm
the busiest guy I know," he says, periodically tending to
a question from his children during the interview. His kids --
aged 8,7, 2 and 9-months -- can be sure that Dad's looking to
take care of business on April 2.
Source: Maxfighting
|
NCAA
WRESTLING TELECAST ON ESPN2 SETS NEW NETWORK WRESTLING RATINGS
RECORD!
There is more good news for the world of wrestling from the world
of television.
This
past Saturday evening's live broadcast of the finals of the 2004
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship on ESPN2 got a rating
of 0.62. This means it was seen in approximately 542,000 households
in the U.S.
This
makes it the most-viewed wrestling telecast ever in ESPN history.
In
addition, this figure represents almost a doubling of last year's
total. The 2003 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, which
was aired on ESPN2 on same-day tape-delay, only got a rating
of 0.33. The live airing of this year's event no doubt contributed
to its ratings success.
There
are other factors which assisted this relatively high rating.
After finishing only eighth last season and losing the Big Ten
Championships the past three years, Iowa had a late-season resurgence
that earned the Hawkeyes a second-place finish at this year's
NCAA's after capturing the Big Ten title.
There
has been the development of so many powerful teams in so many
diverse parts of the country, including the East and West Coasts.
Harvard's Jesse Jantzen, who won the Outstanding Wrestler award
after taking the 149-pound championship, became the first wrestler
from that school to win an NCAA wrestling title since 1938. Stanford's
Matt Gentry, who won at 157, was that school's first NCAA wrestling
champion ever, and its only finalist in the 85-year history of
that school's wrestling program.
There
were highly competitive races for the individual championships
that saw five of the six defending champions fail to repeat.
Also,
this year 15 different schools sent wrestlers in the finals.
Despite Oklahoma State's clinching the team title the second
day of the three-day tournament, the ten individual weight classes
were won by wrestlers from ten different schools.
All
these heightened interest in this year's telecast of the finals.
Another
factor making this year's rating even more impressive was that
the wrestling finals had a weak lead-in. Prior to the NCAA's,
ESPN2 was airing an LPGA women's golf tournament. That only got
a rating of 0.24.
After
the wrestling was over, ESPN2 ran regional coverage of the NCAA
women's basketball tournament. As soon as the wrestling ended,
tons of people started wrestling with their remote controls,
as the women's basketball only got a rating of 0.34.
Further,
the sports competition on directly opposite the wrestling was
strong. CBS was showing coverage of the second round of the NCAA
men's basketball tournament.
But
the popularity of these college basketball tournaments, which
have been dubbed 'March Madness,' has more to do with another
factor than interest in the sport of basketball.
According
to a press release about Monday's edition of ESPN's own 'Outside
The Lines' show, 'The Las Vegas sports books will take more than
100 million dollars in bets on the NCAA [basketball] Tournament,
20 million more than the Super Bowl. Add to that on-line betting
services, office pools and illegal gambling, and it's clear the
NCAA Tournament fuels far more wagering than any other sporting
event.'
That
broadcast showed the oddsmaker at the Stardust Casino sportsbook
in Las Vegas saying about the gambling on college basketball,
'It creates interest for a game that otherwise wouldn't have
interest.'
While
the NCAA claims to oppose gambling on its events, and that the
high ratings are unrelated to this widespread gambling, few agree.
'Gambling
is the engine that drives the NCAA [basketball] tournament, as
it is the engine that drives the National Football League,' said
syndicated columnist Norman Chad on this show. 'Neither would
be nearly as popular if people were not able to wager some money
on the events.' Chad also argued that the NCAA's assertion that
its high ratings -- and thus huge television revenues -- were
unrelated to gambling was 'preposterous.'
Thus,
the NCAA wrestling championships not only have to compete with
the sport of basketball, but also with this national frenzy of
both illegal and legal gambling.
There
have been numerous and frequent calls by many in the wrestling
community to change the time of the wrestling season and move
the NCAA wrestling championships to another date, either a month
before or after the basketball tournament. But the NCAA has thus
far refused to do so.
Despite
all these obstacles, and other factors such as the assault on
college wrestling programs by anti-male feminists and their followers,
interest in college wrestling continues to grow in the U.S.
As
we said prior to this year's NCAA's, 'Perhaps if the ratings
are strong enough this year, ESPN could put the wrestling on
its main network and something else on ESPN2 in the future. That,
however, depends on how many of YOU watch this year's live broadcast.'
Hopefully
enough of you did, as ESPN spokesmen have indicated to us that
they are very happy with this rating for the NCAA wrestling finals.
Now
we must all continue to step up our support for the world's oldest,
and greatest, sport -- wrestling!
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"We are hungry for more; if we do not consciously pursue
the More, we create less for ourselves and make it more difficult
to experience More in life."
Judith Wright, Author, There Must Be More Than This
|
CONVERSATIONAL
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
NUTSHELL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
With concentration on everyday, modern Brazilian usage, special
attention is paid to quickly gain understanding of polite, informal
and colloquial language, verb conjugations, past & present
tenses, masculine-feminine nouns & adjectives (big obstacles
in Romance language-learning) with goals of attaining native
pronunciation and fluency of speech. Brazilian regional variations
in proununciation and vocabulary are recognized.
This
class is ideal for:
1) Those interested in travel to Brazil
2) English speakers with Brazilian friends/spouses/partners
3) Practitioners of Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu)
4) Speakers/students of other Latin-derived languages.
Portuguese
Farrington
High School Room U202
Saturdays starting February 7 thru April 17
8:30-11:30 a.m.
Only $30, books $26
ABOUT
THE INSTRUCTOR:
Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira, a Honolulu native, was drawn to the musical
culture of Brazil while studying for her BA in Ethnomusicology
at UH Manoa in the 1970s.
Portuguese language studies were at UH-Manoa with Dr. Stefan
Baciu, and at Windward Commnunity School for Adults with Cecy
de Souza Browne. Sandy worked as a Spanish & Portuguese-speaking
tour escort for over 10 years receiving hands-on experience in
the language locally while promoting the Hawaii visitor industry.
She
lived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1980-83; spending the first year
at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Escola de Música
on Rotary International Post-Graduate Fellowship for International
Understanding, afterward working as a vocalist in upscale restaurant/bars
and teaching English.
Performing
in Brazilian music groups (The Rio Trio, Mistura, Banda Carioca)
after her return to Hawaii, Sandy maintained her contact with
Brazilian culture in the community while pursuing education in
simultaneous conference interpretation at UH Manoa Center for
Interpretation and Translation Studies. She then continued in
the field of Secondary Education, receiving certification for
Spanish and Special Education.
Sandy
has worked freelance as an English/Spanish/Portuguese interpreter/translator,
as well as in Federal and State courts, for the Honolulu Police
Dept., US Immigration and Naturalization Service, various international
conferences, is on staff for the Bilingual Access Line of Helping
Hands Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators
Assn.
Currently a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt High School,
she has been teaching Portuguese at FCSA for the past four years.
TEXTBOOK:
Fala Brazil! Português Para Estrangeiros
by Pierre Coudry & Elizabeth Fontão (Pontes Editores)
Accompanying cassettes/CD available
RECOMMENDED
SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS:
501
Portuguese verbs
by John J. Nitti & Michael J. Ferreira (Barron's)
Portuguese
Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
by Sue Tyson-Ward (Passport Books)
For
information on registration, location, dates, fees & class
times, please visit the Farrington Community School for Adults
website:
http://fcsa.k12.hi.us
or
call: (808)832-3595
|
Former
Teammates Clash - Renato Babalú defeats Antoine Jaoude
in Rio!
Last
weekend in Rio de Janeiro was meant to prove Brazilian Olympic
wrestling has neen evolving fast. During the 80's Beto Leitão,
the Olympic wrestling Confederation director, had no opponents
in Brazil. He was the best and maybe the only Brazilian wrestler
with an international skill level. Nowadays, others has been
popping up and increasing the level in Brazil. Antoine Braga,
Leitão's pupil and the most experienced Brazilian wrestler
active today has been defeated by ex-teammate Renato Babalú
during the State tournament of Luta Livre held in Rio de Janeiro
at the Centro de Educação Integrada of Quintino
last weekend (March 19 and 20th). Many people see as just a victory
for Gracie Barra Combat Team over Ruas Vale-Tudo, and they may
miss the fact that a celebration is in order! Strong and fighting
without a sponsorship deal, Antoine and Babalú always
look forward to keeping the attention of the fans on wrestling.
Babalú's
victory over Antoine by a score of 8x5 was the fight that highlighted
the competition. The tournament however, got the organizers surprised
from the very first bout. Originally scheduled for one day (Saturday
20th), the number of subscribers was so big at the last minute,
that one mat was not enough to contain all the bouts. At the
end of the day, the tournament had to be interrupted and the
finals and semifinals were re-scheduled for Sunday. The athletes
agreed with the decision.
'It
was definitely the biggest state tournament held in Rio de Janeiro.
We counted over 100 competitors. Besides the quantity, the technical
quality increased a lot. Antoine came from a marathon of international
tournaments (pre-Olympic) and a Submission in São João
da Barra. I think this bothered him a little. I think it was
great that he had tough opponents such as Artilheiro and Babalú.
On the same weekend that we were in Rio de Janeiro, our girls
were doing great in Bulgaria. We didn't get to the Olympics,
but we won several bouts and even when we got defeated, we face
them equally. This proves the evolution of our sport of Wrestling.'
spoke Leitão.
Check
out the champions:
55kg:
Leonardo Silva (Gama Filho)
60kg: Daniel Pirata (Ruas Vale-Tudo)
66kg: Leonardo Lustosa (Gama Filho)
74kg: Aluisio Barros (Gracie Barra)
84kg: Adrian Jaoude (Ruas Vale-Tudo)
96kg: Renato Babalú (Gracie Barra)
120kg: Carlos Clayton (Gama Filho)
Champion Team: Gama Filho
The
champion above and their vice champions will be representing
Rio de Janeiro at the Olympic Wrestling Brazilian Open, scheduled
for the capital, Brasilia, on April 11th.
Source:
ADCC
|
Nino
'Elvis' Shembri To Train With Chute Boxe!
After spending almost 1 year away from competition, the name
Nino 'Elvis' Shembri is back in the news. Nino had some personal
problems towards the end of 2003 and was not focused on training.
During this time, his manager Jorge Guimaraes was trying to set
up his return under the best possible circumstances. IT was clear
to Nino's camp after his last loss in Pride, that he needed to
improve his stand up skills.
Last
week, Jorge Guimaraes announced that Nino will spent a training
season with the famous CHUTE BOXE team. This is big news Brazil,
since Nino represented a Jiu-Jitsu team that just founded an
MMA team: The Gracie Barra Combat Team.
Nino
is ready to train with yhe Chute Boxe team, but it's not official
that he joinned the MMA team.
Rudimar
Fedrigo, Chute Boxe's coach, already stated that will try to
make Nino very comfortable. They want him to decide if he wants
to join the team or not, and they promised that they will never
match him against former teammates in MMA matches.
More
developments on Nino and Chute Boxe soon!
Source:
ADCC
|
TOTAL
ELIMINATION 2004!
LOS
ANGELES, California - Eight participants are now official for
the sixteen man heavyweight tournament---TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004---which
will take place on April 25th, 2004 from the Saitama Super Arena
in Japan. The event is scheduled to debut on North American pay
per view on same day delay.
Official
Participants:
Fedor
Emelianenko
Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
"The Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring
"Ice Cold" Igor Vovchanchyn
Stefan "Blitz" Leko
Sylvester "The Predator" Terkay
Sentoryu
The
remaining eight participants as well as the match-ups for the
opening round will be announced at a press conference on March
31st. The schedule for the tournament will be as follows:
PRIDE
FC 16-Man Heavyweight Tournament
TOTAL
ELIMINATION 2004
April 25, 2004
Saitama Super Arena
(Opening Round)
CRITICAL
COUNTDOWN 2004
June 20, 2004
Saitama Super Arena
(Second Round)
FINAL
CONFLICT 2004
August 15, 2004
Saitama Super Arena
(Semi-Finals and Finals)
PRIDE
FC: TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004 will premiere on North American pay
per view through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra,
TVN1, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer's Choice Canada on Sunday,
April 25th, 2004. The premiere time is 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST
and the count down show is at 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST. For additional
replay times, please contact your pay per view provider.
Participants
and fight card are subject to change.
Source:
FCF
|
PULVER
IMPRESSIVE KO WIN;
UNO FIGHTS TO A DRAW
Jens Pulver got an impressive win in Japan yesterday as he needed
just a couple of minutes to secure a knockout in Japan for his
first fight in Shooto.
Pulver
has been working hard on his boxing game and it showed with some
unbeleivable body shots that you could hear in the entire arena
as Pulver took out Naoya Uematsu. All Photo's courtesy of Scott
Petersen of MMAWeekly.com. and to see all of them check out the
Soundoff Forum.
Caol
Uno also competed on the same card and he fought a very entertaining
fight against Tatsuya Kawajiri. The fight went back and fourth
in a good battle and it was ruled a draw.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
RILEY
FIGHTS THIS WEEKEND, BREAKS DOWN EDWARDS VS FRANCA
MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio continued to bring you Sixteen Fighters
in Sixteen Days on Monday with guest Aaron Riley. We caught up
with him in sunny Florida where he is training for his fight
against Nuri Shakir this Saturday in Evansville, Indiana. Aaron
discussed his upcoming Hook N Shoot fight, broke down fellow
training partner Hermes Franca's bout with Yves Edwards, and
spoke about the possibility of moving down in weight.
Riley
is set to fight this Saturday, as previously mentioned, against
Nuri Shakir. Aaron said, "I'm coming to bang." He considers
Shakir to be a "tough guy," and thinks this should
be a "good fight." Riley has seen Nuri fight and doesn't
think Shakir's "south paw" style will be a big problem
for him. He commented that you just have to adapt like great
fighters can and said, you "just get in there and do your
thing."
Aaron
plans on coming into this weekend's fight weighing around 167
lbs., about the same weight that he walks around at. This could
be his last fight at that weight. He is considering dropping
down to the 155 pound division after this match. Riley feels
he can easily make that weight but, right now, he is focused
on this fight and will worry about the future afterward.
Riley
trains with American Top Team and considers it an "awesome
experience." The training at ATT is "phenomenal"
he added. Aaron said it is like a "dream come true"-
the way they treat the fighters. He said that they really "take
care" of the fighters and he only has to focus on training
and fighting, plus the numerous tough guys in the gym to train
with.
Hermes
Franca is Riley's main training partner as both are preparing
for fights in the next two weeks. Aaron broke down Franca's upcoming
UFC bout against Yves Edwards. Riley has unique perspective on
this match-up, having fought Yves twice and training with Hermes
on a daily basis. He thinks this is going to be an "explosive
match up." He said that "whoever comes out and establishes
their game will win the fight."
Riley
thinks Edwards has the advantage from the clinch and has gotten
much better at takedown defense. He quickly pointed out that
Hermes has a "strange and awkward" style and can catch
you off guard both with takedowns and punches. Aaron gives the
edge in technique and speed to Edwards but gave Franca the upperhand
in power. He thinks that the "key" is for Franca to
be careful not to get caught and receive a cut. He also feels
Hermes needs to set the pace of the fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
POSTAL
CONNECTIONS: HUGHES VS. HALLMAN
Hello
my friends, our Zuffa informant 'Coffee Guy' tells me that Zuffa
is working on signing a Matt Hughes vs. Dennis Hallman matchup
for UFC 48.
Source:
Fight Sport |
'TANK'
VS. BRIGGS UPDATE
Tank
Abbott vs. Shannon Briggs
Fightsport.com
first reported last November that K-1 was looking to sign 'Tank'
Abbott to a multi-fight contract for both MMA and K-1 rules fights.
We
then reported last month that the first fight on a possible deal
with Tank would be against former heavyweight boxing champion
Shannon Briggs on the K-1 Vegas, which is scheduled for April
30th at the Bellagio.
Now
we have learned that negotiations between K-1 and Tank Abbott
have been going extremely well. According to inside sources,
expect Tank to sign with K-1 within the next week, and expect
the signing to be officially announced in two weeks.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"I do not know what path in life you will take, but I do
know this: If, on that path, you do not find a way to serve,
you will never be happy."
Albert Schweitzer. 1875-1965, German Born Medical Missionary,
Theologian, Musician, and Philosopher
|
SHOOTO
- March 22nd, Complete Results!
March
22nd, 2004
Kourakuen Hall Tokyo, Japan
This
card features the debut of former UFC Champion Jens Pulver in
SHOOTO, as well as the return of Caol Uno, perhaps SHOOTO's biggest
crossover star.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Class
B - 2 x 5 minutes rounds:
Bantamweight
[-56.0Kg] 2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
- Heat Takeshi vs. BJ: Heat by Unanimous Decision.
Lightweight
[-65.0Kg]
- Akitoshi Tamura vs. Eiji Murayama: DRAW
Middleweight
[-76.0Kg]
- Shigetoshi Iwase vs. Yoshifumi Dougaki: Iwase by THKO, RD 2.
[-68.0Kg]
- Yohei Suzuki vs. Lion Takeshi: Lion by Strikes, RD 1.
Class
A - 3 x 5 minutes rounds:
Lightweight
[-65.0Kg]
- Naoya Uematsu vs. Jens Pulver: Pulver by KO in RD 1.
Welterweight
[-70.0Kg]
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Caol Uno: DRAW
Source: ADCC
|
Rodrigo
Minotauro Flies to Japan
Rodrigo
'Minotauro' boarded a plane last Saturday to headed for Japan,
where he will participate in a press conference to confirm his
name for the Pride GP on the side of Emelianenko Fedor and Mirko
Cro-Cop.
'I´ve
been preparing, this trip wasn´t in my plan, but anyhow,
I´m going to Japan, but on Friday I´ll be back to
Brazil in order to maintain my training schedule' states the
Minotaur.
Beyond
the press conference, Minotauro will take part in a Japanese
soap opera:
'I´ll
play a cook on a soap opera and I will speak some things as well!'
states the champ.
Looking
forward to Pride GP, the Brazilian knows he must be focusing
on his preparation all the time in order to improve his game:
'The
time I spent in Cuba with the boxing team was great, I´ve
improved my standing game very much. When I head back from Japan
I continue my training with my buddies from Brazilian Top Team'
says Rodrigo.
Now,
whenever he wants, Minotauro he doesnot even have to leave his
house to train! The champion has installed a ring in home and
he usually spend hours there training. Beware the GP!
Source:
ADCC
|
K-1
World GP 2004 Japan
March 27th,
2004
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
K-1
returns with Bob Sapp, Japanese sumo legend Akebono, as well
as the debut in K-1 of ATT boxer Shannon Briggs. who takes on
wrestler Tom Erikson. The complete card is below.
Complete
Card Subject To Change:
- Akebono vs. Musashi
- Bob Sapp vs. TBA
- Alexey Ignashov vs. Carter Williams
- Ernesto Hoost vs. Remy Bonjasky
- Shannon Briggs vs. Tom Erikson
- Francois Botha vs. Aziz Khattou
- Mike Bernardo vs. Jan Nortje
- Jerrol Venetiaan vs. Sergei Gur
- Cyril Abidi vs. Hiraku Hori
Source:
ADCC
|
BARONI
JOINS NEW FIGHT TEAM...
ENSON IN CORNER
MMAWeekly’s Mick Hammond got a hold of Enson Inoue as he
prepares to battle Tom “Trauma” Sauer in his return
match to MMA competition at the upcoming Superbrawl 35 on April 16th in Hawaii. Enson had plenty
to say about the fight and his new relationship with Phil Baroni.
During the conversation with MMAWeekly, Enson stated that, most
likely, the upcoming SuperBrawl fight will take place near 210
pounds rather than under 205 pounds as originally slated because,
according to Inoue, “I’ve heard Tom may be having a
hard time coming down to 205, so the contract was signed at 210.
If he can make it under 205, then I will as well.”
Inoue
also mentioned that he’s been in contact with K-1 to fight
at their May 22nd show under MMA rules as well; however, he is
still in negotiations and a possible opponent has yet to be named
to him. He’s also been talking about a return to PRIDE for
whom he has not fought since being choked out at the hands of
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 19 in February of 2002.
Possibly
most interesting of all, Enson stated that the “New York
Bad Ass” Phil Baroni has joined Enson’s Purebred Fight
Team and is currently in Japan training with him as Baroni prepares
to fight Evan Tanner in a rematch of their controversial fight
that took place last November. “Phil’s a part of the
family now. He’ll be with me in my corner in Hawaii and
I’ll be in his when he fights Tanner in Vegas,” said
Inoue. When asked if he’d like to make it possibly a team
vs. team affair, Enson commented, “Yeah, I’ll fight
Randy (Couture, Tanner’s Team Quest partner). He’s
the best in my weight class, so you bet I’d get in the octagon
with him.”
When
asked about his contract situation with Antonio Inoki’s
New Japan Pro Wrestling organization, Enson said, “I only
have a per match contract, not a full 1-year contract like other
wrestlers. I’m concentrating on MMA now and will do pro-wrestling
on the side.”
Lastly,
when asked how he’s feeling about his upcoming fight with
Sauer, Inoue stated, “I’m 100% healthy and ready for
this fight. I hear he’s a brawler, so if he wants to stand
and trade, we’ll do that. If he wants to go to the ground,
I’ll do that too and I’ll submit him.” When asked
if he’ll be better prepared to defend a triangle choke,
which cost him his fight against Nogueira 2 years ago, Enson
emphatically stated, “If I get caught in a triangle again,
I’ll pick the guy up and throw him out of the ring!”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
DIN
SPARS WITH BOXING CHAMP ZAB JUDAH
Din
Thomas joined MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio Friday and talked about
fellow American Top Team stable mate Hermes Franca, among other
things. Din said he is taking some time off and is just helping
the team the best he can.
Hermes
is set to fight Yves Edwards at UFC 47, in a match that many
feel could be one of the best of the night. Thomas said Franca
looks good and is "on fire." He spoke about Franca's
toughness, saying he isn't scared of anybody. When asked if Hermes
would stand with Yves, Din said, Hermes "is not intimidated
by Yves' stand up." According to Thomas, this fight is "all
going to come down to who can impose their will."
Din
is not only helping Franca prepare to fight, he spent some time
sparring with Zab Judah. Thomas considers himself one of the
better strikers in MMA but admitted that Judah was out of his
league. He was surprised at the power of Zab's punches. During
the sparring session, Thomas said, Judah was "all business."
As
far as when we will see Thomas fighting again is unclear. He
is thinking about fighting in July for an AFC show in Florida.
Right now, Din is letting some nagging injuries heal but would
like to help the MMA scene in Florida flourish.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MENNE,
WIUFF AND DOERKSEN HEADLINE NEXT EC CARD
MEDINA,
Minn. -- Former UFC champion Dave Menne has accomplished a lot
in the world of mixed martial arts. However, despite accumulating
a long list of titles and victories over many of the world's
top competitors, Menne has always dreamed of something more...
something closer to home.
"For
a long time, I've wanted to be involved with bringing a quality
event to Minneapolis," Menne said. "It's something
I think the state needs and finally, it's going to happen."
Menne
has teamed up with his manager Monte Cox to co-promote Extreme
Challenge 56... scheduled for this Friday at the Medina Entertainment
Center in Medina, Minn. Not only will Menne help with the promotion...
he'll also fight in the main event.
"Dave
is so excited to be promoting an event," Cox said. "He
asked what he could do to make sure the event was a success.
I said, that's easy... fight in it.
I
mean, he's without a doubt the most successful MMA fighter in
Minnesota history. Not only is he the only UFC champion from
his state, he also helped bring attention to the sport in Minneapolis
and make it possible for others to follow in his foot steps."
Menne
will fight veteran Leo Sylvest of Indianapolis in the headliner
of the 12-fight card. Travis Wiuff, another local UFC veteran,
also will compete... putting his 11-fight win streak on the line
against Demian Decorah in a heavyweight bout. Wiuff, from Rochester,
Minn., sports a 26-4 record and owns back-to-back wins over Carlos
Barreto in Brazil and Roman Zentrov of Russia. Decorah, a wrestling
coach, has won 5 of his last 7 bouts.
"I
haven't fought near my hometown in quite a while, so I'm really
looking forward to the opportunity," Wiuff said. "This
looks like it will be a great show... I'm happy that I get to
be a part of it."
In
addition to the UFC vets, many up-and-coming fighters will also
be featured on the card:
Joe Doerksen, of Winnepeg, Manitoba, faces Dan Anderson of Des
Moines, Iowa. Doerksen (22-5) won the Super Brawl/Extreme Challenge
8-man tourney and has been ranked top 10 in the world' at 185
pounds. Andreson is 6-1 and owns a win over University of Iowa
wrestler Ben Uker.
Daryl
Guthmiller (11-2) of Minneapolis will fight Josh Rafferty (4-2)
of Cincinnati in another feature bout between well-rounded fighters.
Kyle
Jensen (12-4) of Goodrich, Minn., will battle young Derick Perez
(1-0) of Winnepeg, Manitoba. Jensen was set to fight Spencer
Fisher (10-0), but a hand injury sidelined Fisher.
In
a 4-man tourney at 155 pounds, a berth into the Super Brawl/Extreme
Challenge 8-man tourney in Honolulu, Hawaii, is waiting for the
winner. Competing are: Jorge Gurgel (9-1) of Dayton, Ohio; Joe
Jordan (8-5-1) of Davenport, Iowa; and Gabe Huerta and Gin Minajev,
both of Minneapolis.
Doors
open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout at 8 p.m. The Medina Entertainment
Center will also host the after-fight party with bar and restaurant
service until 2 a.m.
Tickets
are on sale now at the Medina box office 763 478-2784 and at
Minnesota Combat Arts. A VIP area, that includes waitress service
and food, and other tickets are also available by calling Dave
Menne at 651 336-2777.
Dave
Menne vs. Leo Sylvest
Travis Wiuff vs. Damien Decorah
Dan Anderson vs. Joe Doerksen
Derick Perez vs. Kyle Jensen
Josh Rafferty vs. Dearrel Guthmiller
Ron Fields vs. Steve Friedrichs
TBA vs. Scott Valeen
Cliff Saunders vs. John Leidfried
Chris Geschke vs. Karl Knothe
A
4-man 155 tourney with the winner advancing to the Extreme Challenge/Super
Brawl 8-man event in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Roger
Huerta vs. Joe Jordan
Jorge Gurgel vs. Jevgenijs Minajevs
Source:
ADCC
|
|
3/22/04 Happy Birthday to Us! |
Quote
of the Day
"We all have a spiritual purpose, a mission, that we have
been pursuing without being fully aware of it, and once we bring
it completely into consciousness, our lives can take off."
James Redfield , Canadian Author, ''The Celestine Prophesy''
|
Shooto
Hawaii This Friday!
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2004
Campbell High School
Fights start at 7:00 PM
Kid's under 7 FREE! Kid's ages 8-10 $10
Adults $15 Pre-sale, $20 on the day of the event
There
will be something new, AMATUER SHOOTO. Linebred, LLC will be
introducing a new twist to things. Amateur Shooto consists of
2 X 3 minute rounds with a full head gear, Shin guards and NO
punching when fight goes to the ground.
Currently,
we are recruiting fighters for this new endeavor. If you ever
wanted to try MMA and did not want to be thrown to the wolves,
this is the event for you. Full safety equipment is required
and no punching on the ground so you can try out shorter and
fewer rounds and don't have to worry when you get to the ground.
Amatuer Shooto is designed to ease fighters in to professional
MMA action and allow the fighters to build their skill and experience
safely.
Fighters
confirmed so far are...
Edmund
Li (Freelance) vs. Brandon Antonio (JIL) 143
Eric Pajdak (Kamole, Kauai) vs. Thane (JIL) 183
Aaron Okura (Freelance) vs. Bryan Mau (Kenpo Unlimited) 155
TBA vs. Rob Villapando (808 Fight Factory) 155
TBA vs. Chaian Alesna (808 Fight Factory) 167
Contact
the promoters today to sign up at 808-479-8183 or email them
at linebredllc@hawaii.rr.com. |
2004
Pan-Ams Registration Deadline Looms Ahead
The
deadline for internet pre-registration for the 2004 Pan-Ams is
next Friday, March 26th. Don't miss out the BIG pre registration
discount. All you have to do is go to PanAm2004 and sign. This
is your chance to be a part of the largest BJJ Tournament in
America. Don't miss your chance to fight for Pan-Am GOLD!
Pan-Ams
Referee's Clininc a reminder!
In
an effort to continue improving their tournament, the IBJJF is
scheduling a referee's clinic conducted by their Head Referee
on Thursday, April 1st at 6:00 PM. All referee's are encouraged
to attend. Additionally, prior to the opening of each competition
day, Prof. Mansur is going to conduct a brief 'refresher course'
for all competitors and referee's. The object of the refresher
course is to bring everyone to the same page and clarify, amongst
other things, what are legal and illegal techniques for each
belt (for instance on Friday, the Blue Belts will be briefed
on illegal techs which may be different from Purples and Brown
etc). This will be a great opportunity for last minute fine tuning
of strategies etc. Don't miss it!
A
CBJJ reminder: Don't forget about the new weigh in procedure
just before the first match! Check out the CBJJ site often and
remember the deadline to sign up via internet is March 26th!
Source:
ADCC
|
NCAA
WRESTLING FINAL QUICK RESULTS FROM ST. LOUIS
ST.
LOUIS, March 20 -- There are many ways to break down the final
results from the 2004 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.
Oklahoma
State, with 123.5 points, won its second straight team title,
outdistancing Iowa, which was second with 82 points. Seven of
Oklahoma State's wrestlers became All-Americans, the most by
far for any team. But Oklahoma State wrestlers lost two of three
finals matches, and both their defending NCAA champions, Johnny
Thompson and Jake Rosholt, also failed to repeat.
Iowa's
second place finish, following their first Big Ten crown since
2000, seemed to redeem a program which many had criticized as
sliding into oblivion, a place that is not supposed to be on
the map of the Hawkeye State. While Iowa's 2003 NCAA heavyweight
champ Steve Mocco will return next season from an Olympic redshirt
year, 141-pounder Cliff Moore, Iowa's only champ this year, is
a senior and thus has completed his college wrestling career.
Also, while Iowa was the only team to qualify in all ten weights,
just four Hawkeyes took All-American status.
Ohio
State finished with a surprising third-place tie with Lehigh.
While this was a vast improvement from their dismal Big Ten performance
just two weeks ago, Ohio State's top performer, Tommy Rowlands,
who just won his second NCAA heavyweight title, is also a senior
and now is through in college wrestling. Ohio State also placed
a total of five All-Americans.
Lehigh,
with one champ, 165-pounder Troy Letters, and four All-Americans,
was the EIWA champ and is the strongest team in the East. The
National Wrestling Coaches Association also just voted Lehigh
coach Greg Strobel as the Coach of the Year. But how well Lehigh
can sustain this high level is an open question.
Fifth-place
Nebraska, with 74 points, went 1-1 in the finals. Nebraska had
a total of four All-Americans.
Sixth-place
Iowa State, close behind with 70 points, was a team many wrote
off at the beginning of the season. Iowa State crowned one champion
and had four more All-Americans, including two freshmen.
Six
of the seven number one seeds in the finals won. Both 2002 champions,
Greg Jones (184) and Tommy Rowlands (HWT), and the only 2003
champion that made it to the finals this year, Damion Hahn (197),
also won. After the dust settled, only two undefeated wrestlers
remained: Greg Jones and Matt Gentry (157).
The
Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Harvard's Jesse Jantzen (149).
He was the first Harvard wrestler since 1938 to win an NCAA championship,
and the first Ivy Leaguer to be a three-time All-American. Stanford's
Matt Gentry was the first wrestler in the 85-year history of
that school's program to make it to the finals, let alone win
them.
Three
Big 12 wrestlers won titles. However, all three -- Jason Powell
(125), Zach Roberson (141), and Chris Pendleton (174) -- lost
in the Big 12 finals this year.
But
there were other occurrences here that did not exactly fall into
the gee-whiz category. The attendance for the finals was reported
to be 15,081, with the total attendance 87,675. Not only was
this not a sell-out, but it was over 9,000 fewer total than attended
the 2000 NCAA's in this same building. Also, many members of
the media ripped the NCAA for providing almost half the number
of matside seats as they did in 2000, and assigning about 100
reporters to the fifth-floor skybox area used by hockey reporters
in what is really an arena designed primarily for the St. Louis
Blues NHL team. Many commented that this was the worst-organized
and worst-promoted NCAA tournament in recent memory.
We'll
discuss all of this and more in the weeks to come, as well as
have many interviews from this event.
Despite
the blundering of the organizers, this was truly an historic
event. Remember the names of these winners here. They just may
form the core of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic wrestling teams.
2004
NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships
March 20, 2004 evening session
Savvis Center
St. Louis, Missouri
Final
Results from Saturday's evening session
Weight,
seed, wrestler, school, result
125
(1) Jason Powell (Nebraska) tech. fall (6) Kyle Ott (Illinois),
17-2
133
(5) Zach Roberson (Iowa State) dec. (6) Josh Moore (Penn State),
7-3
141
(5) Cliff Moore (Iowa) dec. (7) Matt Murray (Nebraska), 5-2
149
(1) Jesse Jantzen (Harvard) dec. (2) Zack Esposito (Oklahoma
State), 9-3
157
(2) Matt Gentry (Stanford) dec. (4) Jake Percival (Ohio), 4-2
165
(2) Troy Letters (Lehigh) dec. (1) Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma State),
5-2
174
(1) Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State) dec. (6) Ben Askren (Missouri),
11-4
184
(1) Greg Jones (West Virginia) dec. (2) Ben Heizer (Northern
Illinois), 10-5
197
(1) Damion Hahn (Minnesota) dec. (10) Ryan Fulsaas (Iowa), 7-2
285
(1) Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State) dec. (2) Pat Cummins (Penn State),
6-2
Source: ADCC |
The
Heart of the Matter: Liddell Talks Tito
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., March 19 -- Chuck Liddell professes
to know Tito Ortiz. Not the loud, abrasive, and sometimes-mystifying
persona that most experience through television or interviews.
Liddell claims to know the real thing, where Ortiz' indifference
for what he does for a living -- "a means to an end for
him," says Liddell -- will, in the end, seal his fate.
"The
difference between me and Tito as a fighter is I like fighting
…" says Liddell when asked to analyze his mentality
as a fighter compared to Ortiz. "He does it because of what
he gets from it. He does it for the fame, he does it for the
money -- for whatever he gets from it. But he doesn't really
like to fight. He doesn't really like being a fighter."
"I
knew that when I was training with him."
Smiling
during much of the hour and a half he spent talking and working-out
in front a small group of mixed-martial arts and local media
inside his SLO Kickboxing gym, Liddell seems both calm and excited.
With less than two weeks to go before the light-heavyweight contenders'
April 2 showdown, the two-year Ortiz-Liddell odyssey is quickly
coming to a close.
And,
says Liddell, he's ready, healthy for the first time since a
dominating performance over Renato 'Babalu' Sobral at UFC 40,
the same card in which Ortiz became a mainstream figure after
dismantling Ken Shamrock. Both victories, the plan told, ensured
an Ortiz-Liddell showdown.
But
then Ortiz invoked the notion of friendship and began speaking
of a pact -- one Liddell says never existed. Again, he was rebuked.
It was the final straw. "Eventually," says Liddell,
"people kinda realized that he was ducking me."
To
this day, Ortiz talks of the significance of his relationship
with Liddell, and how it prevented him from committing to a showdown
versus the hard-punching light heavyweight.
"Tito used this friendship thing as an excuse to dodge me,"
Liddell counters. "I mean, I know Tito. I like the guy --
I don't like him anymore, actually. I mean I haven't talked to
him in a long time. But at the time, I liked him. He was a nice
guy. But he was no more than an acquaintance. He never called
me to go see a movie, [or] called me to go to a barbecue.
"[The
UFC] asked me before they let me fight (Kevin) Randleman, 'Well,
would you fight Tito,' because they didn't want two guys in the
same weight class on the same team that they were promoting.
I said 'yeah, no problem. I'll fight him. Whenever it comes time,
I'll fight him.'"
Several
opportunities have come and gone, and one year removed from the
height of the out-of-the-ring rivalry, that time is now. What
for Liddell was once a process based around winning a championship,
has been relegated to an exercise in pride.
"This
fight is to shut him up," asserts Liddell, "a lot of
it is. I mean, I don't want to listen to his mouth after a loss
to this guy. So, I don't really care about the rest of it as
far as this fight goes."
To
do that, Liddell must own the center of the Octagon, not allowing
Ortiz to muscle him to the cage fencing. Familiar with Ortiz'
level of athleticism and intensity, Liddell says those things
won't be enough to stop him -- and it's the reason why the ex-205-pound
champion has tried so hard for so long to avoid this fight.
"He's
been worried about me for a long time," Liddell says of
his archrival. "He doesn't like getting hit. He doesn't
like getting hit hard. And he knows I hit hard. I don't have
to come out there and show him I hit hard. He knows I hit hard.
So, I'm in his head. I can take this fight from him early in
the fight. If a few things go wrong for him in this fight, he's
going to be really doubting himself."
Since
the bout was signed two months ago, Liddell has repeatedly challenged
Ortiz to trade with him on the feet. Ortiz has accepted. Liddell,
however, isn't buying Ortiz' claims for one major reason: he
can't stand getting hit.
"Just
from watching his fights," surmises Liddell, "he hasn't
learned to accept getting hit. As soon as he gets hit, someone
puts hard hands on him, all he wants to do is wrestle. He won't
stand there and strike. So, I'm gonna have to put hands on him.
I've seen him rocked a few times and I think if I put my hands
on him, I can put him down."
As
in all Ortiz bouts, the clinch will most likely determine how
this fight is won or lost. If, as Liddell suggests, Ortiz will
not trade with him on the feet (rightfully so if Ortiz believes
his advantage lies in the grappling quotient of the tale of the
tape), one must ask who the better wrestler is. Both men found
they were not near the level of Randy Couture, but unlike Ortiz,
Liddell can take positives away from his clash versus the 40-year-old
stalwart. For one, he was able to regain his feet three times.
Ortiz, meanwhile, was unable to muster any sort of response to
Couture's wrestling and spent virtually the entire 25-minute
fight on his back.
Can
Ortiz take Liddell down? Sure. Whether or not he can keep him
there is the important point. And Liddell feels confident that
that answer will be an advantage for him. "I'm going to
have to work really hard to get up," he says. "But
I'm not too worried about it. I will be able to get up off the
bottom."
"I'm
gonna come after him swinging," Liddell promises. "If
he takes me down, I'll get back up and come after him swinging
again. I mean, I landed some good shots on Randy. Randy was able
to weather them. He's a tough guy. But I am gonna come after
him swinging. If he takes me down, he takes me down. I can't
worry about getting taken down, otherwise I'll never hit him."
At
this point, to not hit Ortiz might be too much for Liddell to
handle. He did it many times in training, but that was before
the odyssey, before the tiring trash talk, and before disappointing
losses to Randy Couture and Quinton Jackson, fighters that Liddell
say lasted because of their ability to take a punch.
"Quinton
took some shots from me that I know would have dropped Tito,"
he says. "Those body shots -- Tito would have been crying.
"I'm
planning on stopping him sometime in this fight and putting him
down. That's what I want to do. If it goes the way I want it
to, at some point, he will be leaving the Octagon on his back."
Source:
Maxfighting
|
BOHLANDER
GETS WIN IN GLADIATORS CHALLENGE
It's been awhile since we saw Jerry Bohlander, but last night
he returned to MMA fighting in Gladiators Challenge. Jerry Bohlander
defeated Kenny Kingsford at 1:40 of Round 1.
Both
fighters engaged for a bit but it was Bohlander who had a few
takedowns early and often in the fight. Bohlander dominated the
fight and at 1:40 of the first round he secured an armbar for
the win.
MMAWeekly's
Tom call said that overall Jerry did well in the fight as he
easily outclassed Kenny Kingsford. Call said, "It seemed
as though Jerry was trying to knock him out by throwing big punches...Kingsford
would try to close the distance but Bohlander would easily take
him down and finished the fight with an arm bar." Nice win
for Bohlander.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Jens
Pulver back in Japan Fighting in SHOOTO Show
Pulver
looks to make his mark in the Shooto promotion here in Japan
on Monday the 22nd. After just having flown in on Saturday night,
Pulver still has some weight to lose to make the 143 pounds for
his fight. When this picture was taken he still had about five
pounds to drop hours before weigh-ins. Pulver is in good spirits
though and said "that this was the best flight" he's
had coming here to Japan. He was looking forward to getting to
eat after the weigh-ins; since, he's been dieting on miso soup
(a popular Japanese soup).
Check
out the video interview with Pulver in the In The Cage section,
and make sure to check back for the results of Pulver's fight
( Monday night in Tokyo, early Monday Morning in the States).
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Periodization
for the Modern Warrior
By
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins, MMAWeekly.com
Whenever
you research or study Strength & Conditioning training, you
will invariably, at some point, run across the term “Periodization.”
Because the concept of periodization was popularized in the 1980s
by many Eastern Bloc countries, it scares some people. When discussing
periodization, many start envisioning complex programs based
around percentages and formulas. You know, the kind of program
that one has to have a degree in Algebra to figure out.
While
some periodization programs are this way, more often that not,
this isn’t the case. All the term periodization means is
that a program has scheduled and defined “periods”
in it. These periods all have a different focus and your sets
and reps ranges are adjusted to reflect such. Usually, there
are three periods focused on – endurance, strength (or strength-hypertrophy),
and power.
To
make it simpler, think of periodization as just structured cycling.
We all know that we can’t lift heavy all the time –
sometimes you have to back off. Sometimes you need to lift heavy,
sometimes you need to lift light, and sometimes you need a good
cross between the two. Instead of going by “feel,”
or just lifting “randomly,” periodization just gives
your program structure so that you know when you’ll be performing
what type of exercise.
By
“type of exercise,” I mean what sort of sets and reps
ranges. Remember, I said before that the three phases most commonly
used in periodized workouts are endurance, strength, and power?
Well, example sets and reps ranges might be 5-6 sets x 13-18
reps for endurance, 4-6 sets x 5-8 reps for strength, and 5-8
sets x 2-3 reps (done in explosive fashion) for power.
Exercise
selection may also change. To develop power (i.e. – a combination
of heavy weight and rapid movement), the Olympic lifts and their
power and athletic versions would be a good choice. If standard
compound lifts are used, this will be the heaviest phase of training,
and bar speed will still be of importance. During the strength
phase, compound lifts are best utilized. Endurance training,
since it’s many times used for either de-loading the body
or re-acclimating the body to exercise after a layoff, can not
only take advantage of compound movements, but it’s okay
to throw in the occasional isolation movement. (Olympic lifts
and their versions are not good for the endurance phase. While
they are very metabolically demanding, form is the key issue,
and performing higher reps may lead to a breakdown in proper
form. This, in turn, could lead to injury.)
How
long should each phase last? That is an interesting question
with a few different answers – none of which are necessarily
“right” or “wrong.” Really, it depends on
what you’re training for and what your competition schedule
is like.
The
“style” of periodization that most are first introduced
to is the kind in which each phase lasts quite a while –
usually 6-8 weeks. This sort of program is often used with athletes
that have definite competitive and off-seasons such as football
or baseball. Training intensity can be built upon and ramped
up during the off-season, leading to the next competitive season.
Another
“style” is a toned down version of the last one –
each phase only lasts 2-3 weeks. This sort of program is better
for somebody that tends to burn out or get bored with their program
quickly. It doesn’t allow you to get in a “rut”
and can be adapted much easier to fit a broader range of goals.
One
of the most extreme versions of periodization compresses each
phase into a single week. In other words, you’d perform
a day dedicated to each phase at least once per week. As an example,
let’s say you had a whole-body program consisting of 5-6
basic exercises: Clean & Press, Chins, Medium Grip Bench
Presses, Curls, and Squats finishing up with abdominal, grip,
and neck work. You’d perform this workout 3x per week (e.g.
– Monday, Wednesday, Friday), with each day having a different
focus. Monday would be for endurance, Wednesday would be for
strength, and Friday for power.
Out
of all the variants I’ve seen of distinct periodization,
I like the last one the best. It allows you to work on a broad
range of goals at one time. This way, you’re not losing
strength and power while targeting endurance or losing power
and endurance while targeting strength. You may not progress
quite as quickly in any one phase (although there have been studies
and a bit of anecdotal evidence that suggest the contrary), but
you’ll be better at more.
In
my opinion, it is this style of periodization that has the most
potential benefit to a fighter. Many, if not most, fighters don’t
have the luxury of knowing they have a fight coming up months
ahead of time, thus giving them time to go through an extended
periodized schedule. We read all the time about fighters (even
at the top levels of the professional ranks) taking fights on
just a few weeks’ or even days’ notice. If a fighter
isn’t in good “all-round” condition (endurance,
strength, and power) all the time, this wouldn’t be possible.
Imagine
a relatively up and coming fighter getting a shot in the UFC
at the last possible minute because the fighter originally scheduled
withdrew due to injury. Can you see him declining the offer because
he’s only at the beginning of his strength phase of his
periodized schedule, therefore, isn’t ready? Or worse yet,
he takes the fight anyway, but because he’s not in good
“all-round” shape, he has a poor showing, maybe killing
his chances at a future shot in the UFC? Using a highly compressed
periodization schedule will help a fighter keep him/herself in
good condition all the time.
Train
Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.
A
strength athlete for 11+ years and moderator of the Strength
and Conditioning forum at mma.tv, Matt “Wiggy” Wiggins
lives in Cameron, NC. He runs the strength, conditioning, and
fitness website www.workingclassfitness.com, authors strength
training manuals, and designs personalized training programs
(for mixed martial artists as well as other athletes and non-athletes)
online. To find out how Wiggy can design a program for you to
suit your specific needs, please email him at wiggy@workingclassfitness.com.
ATTENTION:
Physical exercise can sometimes lead to injury. The information
contained above is NOT intended to constitute an explanation
of any exercise, material, or product (or how to use/perform
them). Neither MMAWeekly.com nor WorkingClassFitness.com is responsible
in any way, shape, or form for any injury that may result from
any person's attempt at exercise as a result of the provided
information. Please consult a physician before starting any exercise
program, and never substitute the information on MMAWeekly.com
or WorkingClassFitness.com for any professional medical advice
or treatment you may receive.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at
one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging
well over the brink of failure."
Napoleon Hill, 1883-1970, American Speaker, Motivational Writer,
''Think and Grow Rich''
|
Maui's
Super Brawl 34 to Air State Wide
on Time Warner Oceanic Pay Per View!
Sunday night March 28th, the Maui War Memorial will host Super
Brawl's 34th mixed martial arts spectacle. In another first for
Hawaii's #1 fight promotion, the event will air on a same night
(Sunday, March 28) tape delay basis on Oceanic Digital Channel
256 at 8:00pm. The price will be $19.95. The event will begin
live at 6:30pm at the Maui War Memorial. Play by play and color
commentary wil be handled by Relson Gracie brown belt, Mike Onzuka
and Super Brawl producer, T.Jay Thompson. Ring announcing, as
always, will be handled by the "Voice of Super Brawl",
Tommy Dakota.
The event will be headlined by Falaniko Vitale, fresh of his
dominant victory over former UFC champion Dave Menne in Super
Brawl 33. His opponent "Bad Boy" Keith Winters will
be flying in from Phoenix, Arizona to square of with the #1 ranked
Super Brawl middleweight. Also on the card will be 808 Fight
Factory's Harris Sarmiento, "Ice Kold" Kolo Koka, Justin
Mercado, Kaipo Kalama and many other fighters from Oahu, Maui
and the Mainland.
If you don't have Oceanic's digital cable box, now is the time
to get one!
Source: Event Promoter |
Travis
Lee Takes 5th Place at NCAA Division 1 Championships
Here are the results of Hawaii's Travis Lee, who was ranked number
1 and came in to the championships with a 35-1 record, in the
2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Match 1: Lee over Derek More (UC-Davis) by pin fall at 5:34 min
Match 2: Lee over Patrick Dowty (E. Illinois) 19-4 after 7:00
min
Match 3: Lee over Matt Sanchez (Cal-Bakersfield) by pin fall
at 6:22 min
Match 4: Lee loses to Zach Roberson (Iowa St., ranked number
5) 6-3
Match 5: Lee loses to Johnny Thompson (Oklahoma St, ranked number
3, 2-time defending champ) 10-8
Match 6: Lee over Foley Dowd (Michigan) 12-0 to gain 5th place
overall finish
Word is that Travis is a little bummed on his performance, but
is already planning for next year.
Thanks to Zack "The Fuzz" Pang for the updates and
the NCAA Sports Website for the specifics |
The
Pride of Martial Arts Tournament
USSJA Sport Jiujitsu, G3 Kickboxing, Extreme Sparring & Submission
Grappling Tournament
Kamehameha High School Gym, Honolulu, Hawaii
April 18, 2004
Registration & Weigh-ins 9:00AM
Competition Starts: 10:00AM
Entry Fee: $20 per division
Admission: $3 at the door
For more info:
Kempo Unlimited 778-3601
Hawaii Martial Arts Center (HMC) 841-5144
Source: Event Promoter |
For
Ortiz, Success Comes Through Evolution
By Josh Gross
WESTMINSTER,
Calif. -- Call it Mixed Martial Arts Darwinism. Tito Ortiz says
he's been transformed by it while Chuck Liddell hasn't. And,
said the former UFC light heavyweight champ to a small contingent
of reporters inside the Westminster Boxing Club on Thursday,
it's the reason he will win and Liddell won't when they face
off April 2 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
"He's
the same fighter he was two years ago," Ortiz says, handicapping
Liddell -- his former friend and sparring partner who hounded
the ex-champion into finally accepting a fight. "He's the
same fighter he was a year ago. He's the same fighter he was
last fight. He hasn't changed. He throws looping punches, overhand
rights that people can see a mile away, [and] hooks you see a
mile away. If he throws the same stuff at me, it's all junk man.
I'm going to throw it in the trash.
"Chuck
Liddell thinks I'm the fighter that used to spar with him two-and-a-half-years
ago. He's in a world of trouble because I ain't the fighter I
was two years ago. I've evolved hugely in the last two years."
Time in the gym with Colin Oyama, Don House, Jessie Reid, Jerry
Moreno, Fabiano Iha, John Lewis, Ricco Rodriguez and Dean Lister,
among others, says Ortiz, is both the proof and blueprint of
this progression.
Liddell,
counters Ortiz, remains largely unchanged from the fighter he
formed Team Punishment with long before there were any demands
of a fight.
"He's
not willing to expose himself to different people to learn from
other people," Ortiz says, insinuating Liddell's fierce
loyalty to his long-time trainer John Hackleman has caught up
with him.
"I
don't know who [Liddell's] training with or sparring with up
[in San Luis Obispo]; I know he can't have many people he's sparring
or training with. But I try to bring some of the best guys to
come down here and train with me. You're only as good as your
training partners, they say.
Ortiz,
who is currently 218 pounds but said he would have little problem
making weight, answered questions for just over half an hour
in the sparse Orange County gym before participating in a relatively
light sparring session with former WBA Junior Middleweight champion
John David Jackson -- a perfect example, insists Ortiz, why he's
prepared to win two weeks from today.
For
two years, an Ortiz-Liddell contest wetted the collective-appetite
of fight fans. The story is well known by now. Ortiz says there
was a pact between friends. Liddell, however, has continually
scoffed at that.
When
asked why Liddell doesn't remember the arrangement between sparring
partners, Ortiz answers, "Either he's a little punch drunk,
he's been punched one too many times, or he just forgets about
things. But I have a really good memory and I don't forget about
things. I don't get hit as much as him, so I think what I remember
is pretty much true. But, hey, this fight is happening now so
all that stuff doesn't really mean shit anymore."
But
this incarnation is much different than the one envisioned by
supporters on both sides. Instead of a champion facing a long-time
number-one contender, Ortiz, still coming to grips after losing
his belt to Randy Couture, now faces Liddell on equal footing.
Ironically,
this new set of circumstances offers a greater sense of urgency
for the fighters, despite apathy from those of us tired of the
drawn-out saga. "I may not have the title, but in my mind
this is still going to be a huge fight," Ortiz says.
And
he's right, but for reasons different than he may be willing
to admit.
For
the winner, spoils should include a title fight and immediate
relevance in the UFC's deepest division. On the other hand, April
2's loser will be defeated in consecutive bouts, virtually eliminated
from title contention for the foreseeable future, needing at
least two quality wins to be considered a viable contender again.
With
all that, it's hard to believe that it was just last year at
this time that Ortiz was riding high from his drubbing of Ken
Shamrock and Liddell was considered unbeatable. But time and
the man Father Time could not stop, exposed both men.
Ortiz'
slippery slope began even before he forced a situation where
Liddell fought Couture for an 'interim' belt. Ridiculed throughout
MMA for choices that seemed to make little sense, continual criticisms
took their toll on Ortiz, a fighter who has made a point to maintain
close relationships with his fans.
"It
gets to you, yeah," he admits. "But it's something
you gotta shake off, man. … You're gonna get haters that
hate you and lovers that love you. It don't matter. As long as
they're talking about you, that's all that matters. And more
than anything, I think I have to expose myself during this fight
as I stand up with him."
Clearly,
Ortiz isn't implying he'll shine a light on any glaring weakness.
Rather, he is intent on brandishing boxing skills that he professes
to have so diligently worked for.
We've
heard this before, though. In the weeks leading up to the Couture
bout, Ortiz repeatedly promised a stand-up war. Afterwards he
swore a herniated disk and a wonderfully-executed game plan on
behalf of his challenger prevented any brawling on the feet.
Fully
healed and, by most accounts, the better wrestler this time around,
there is little preventing Ortiz from standing in the middle
of the ring and delivering ill-intentioned punches -- except
for Liddell, of course.
Why
Ortiz would be compelled to trade punches with a known knockout
artist is unclear, though the months of criticism may have stung
him to the point of influencing a game plan, which, in the end,
could prove ill-fated.
"The
fans want to see something exciting," he contends. "It's
all about the fans. Like I say, I'm going in there to win. I've
got a game plan. Standing up is part of the game plan."
"In
my mind, yeah, I know I can," Ortiz says with the tone of
a man giving himself a pep talk. "There isn't a belief.
I know I can. There ain't a problem at all with it."
It
is an area during their sparring days that wasn't Ortiz' strong
suit. But evolution, time and hard work, he promises, will be
the difference.
"I
already feel ready and it's a week-and-a-half away. … He's
going to have a long night."
Source:
Maxfighting |
Not
even Rizzo was enough to stop Marcelinho!
By Marcelo Dunlop
His
opponent Rodrigo Riscado (Nova Uniao) was in great shape, had
lost ten kilos during his training for the super fight and had
spent hours improving his wrestling and ground techniques with
Brazilian stars like Pedro Rizzo and his teammates at Ruas Vale-Tudo.
But no help seems enough when in the opposite side of the mat
is Marcelo Garcia, black belt who had been demolishing all his
opponents one by one at no-gi competitions since ADCC 2003.
This
time, in 3rd Sao Joao da Barra Submission Wrestling, Garcia (87kg)
needed 5min23s to submit Riscado (96kg), after a spectacular
fight between the two black belts. Marcelinho was leading by
one advantage when Riscado tried to even the combat by attacking
his foot. In a magical move, speedy Garcia released his leg and
reached his opponent's back, finishing the fight with his lethal
rear-naked choke. Though the fight was in Riscado's land, Alliance's
black belt set the gym on fire.
In
the absolute category, Riscado was defeated again on the finals,
losing by one advantage to Brazil's best wrestler Antoine Jaoude.
Jaoude was also defeated in the 105kg by black belt Gabriel Napao
(Macaco Gold Team), who confirmed his great shape submitting
Jaoude with a leg lock.
The
champion of 87kg was young black belt Thales Leites (Nova Uniao).
He beat MMA fighter Carlos Baruch by ref's decision (0 a 0).
Leonardo Pecanha won the 76kg category by one controversial takedown
(4-2), after a great combat against one of Brazil's best grapplers
Rani Yahrya. In the 65kg, the guy with most titles in the event,
Rodrigo Damm (Alliance), won for the 5th time (including three
editions of Submission Wrestling Campos) after he submitted Junior
with a fantastic leg lock.
Pictures
of the Finals: All photos by Gustavo Aragao
-
(76kg) Rani Yarhya x Leo Pecanha
-
(105kg) Gabriel Napao x Antoine Jaoude
-
(87kg) Thales Leites x Carlos Baruch
-
(65kg) Rodrigo Damm x Jose Aldo Junior
Source: ADCC |
MARCH
2004 - ADCC's TOP TEN MMA!
MARCH
2004 - ADCC's TOP TEN MMA FIGHTERS BY WEIGHT
under
145 lbs.
#1 Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira (Brazil)
#2 Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto (Japan)
#3 Jens Pulver (Team EXTREME, USA)
#4 Stephen
Palling (USA)
#5 Joao Roque (Nova Uniao, Brazil)
#6 Tetsuo Katsuta (Japan)
#7 Ivan Menjivar (Costa Rica)
#8 Hiroyuki Abe (Japan)
#9 Hiroyuki Takaya (Japan)
#10 Mike Brown (Team Elite, USA)
145.1
- 155 lbs.
#1 Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, Brazil)
#2 Duane 'Bang' Ludwig (USA)
#3 Caol Uno (Japan)
#4 Genki Sudo (Japan)
#5 Yves Edwards (3rd Column, USA)
#6 Joachim Hansen (Team Scandinavia, Oslo, Norway)
#7 Takanori Gomi (SHOOTO, Japan)
#8 Josh Thompson (Team AKA, USA)
#9 Matt Serra (Team Renzo Gracie, USA)
#10 Hermes Franca (American TOP TEAM, USA)
155.1
- 170 lbs.
#1 BJ Penn
(USA)
#2 Matt Hughes (Team EXTREME, USA)
#3 Sean Sherk (USA)
#4 Jutaro Nakao (Japan)
#5 Rodrigo Gracie (Brazil)
#6 Robbie Lawler (Team EXTREME, USA)
#7 Renato
Verrisimo (Nova Uniao, Brazil)
#8 Carlos Newton (Canada)
#9 Hayato Sakurai (Japan)
#10 Chris Lytle (Integrated Fighting, USA)
170.1
- 185 lbs.
#1 Murilo Bustamante (Brazil)
#2 Yuki Kondo (Japan)
#3 Anderson Silva (Brazil)
#4 Matt Lindland (USA)
#5 Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan)
#6 Ricardo Almeida (Team Renzo Gracie, USA)
#7 Masanori Suda (SHOOTO Champion, Japan)
#8 Amar Suloev (Red Devil, Russia)
#9 Denis Kang (Soares JJ, Canada)
#10 Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (Brazil)
185.1
- 205 lbs.
#1 Wanderlei Silva (Chute Boxe, Brazil)
#2 Randy Couture (Team Quest, USA)
#3 Vitor Belfort (Brazil)
#4 Dan Henderson (USA)
#5 Tito Ortiz (USA)
#6 Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (USA)
#7 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazilian TOP TEAM, Brazil)
#8 Renato 'Babalu' (Brazil)
#9 Mario Sperry (Brazilian TOP TEAM, Brazil)
#10 Chuck Liddell (USA)
205.1
lbs and Up.
#1 - Emilianenko Fedor (Red Devil, Russia)
#2 - Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira (Brazilian TOP TEAM, Brazil)
#3 - Mirko Filipovic (Croatia)
#4 - Tim Sylvia (Team EXTREME, USA)
#5 - Josh Barnett (NJPW, USA)
#6 - Andrei Orlovski (Belarus)
#7 - Frank Mir (Pires JJ, USA)
#8 - Ibragim Magomedov (Red Devil, Russia)
#9 - Semmy Schilt (Holland)
#10 - Travis Wiuff (Team Extreme, USA)
Source: ADCC |
Denis
Martins and ADCC News receive award
Congrats
to our good friend Denis Martins!
Our own reporter Denis Martins was recognized for his tireless
efforts to promote the MMA Scene throughout the World. Martins
received his award during the Sao Joao da Barra Submission Wrestling
3
Congratulations
to this dedicated reporter!
Source: ADCC |
Catching
Up With MARIO SPERRY
by: Marcello Tetel
After
a year of training and fighting, it's finally time for a vacation
for Mario Sperry. Mario spent the last year traveling to Japan
on a monthly basis, and he was planning to take a rest at the
start of 2004, but then Pride made an offer to him, and he had
to delay his much needed time off.
Now,
with BTT member and Pride Champion Rodrigo 'Minotauro' training
for the Pride GP, Mario knows that the next commitment for his
squad will be in the 3rd week of April and he has now planned
a 10 day vacation. Mario knows that it will be very difficult
for himself yo be invited for Pride GP, so he got his surfboad
out in order to have some fun.
Mario
will surf in the Indian Ocean paradise of the Maldives Islands.
Before that, Mario planned to see some good friends: He will
visit Abu Dhabi to see old friends at ADCC!
Source: ADCC |
LIDDELL
TRAINING CAMP
MMAWeekly.com spent Friday in San Luis Obispo at Chuck Liddell's
gym, SLO Kickboxing. (SLO stands for San Luis Obispo for those
who didn't know).
Liddell
spent some time talking to the media about his upcoming fight
at UFC 47 and also did a light workout hitting and kicking the
pads. Liddell talked about his training camp so far, saying he
is very much ready to go against Ortiz in two weeks.
Chuck
has been very happy the way his training camp has gone as he
has focused on "getting back to the basics" with his
training approach. Liddell has spent a considerable amount of
time with the Cal Poly Wrestling Team getting ready for Ortiz.
Many
of the members of the Cal Poly team have gone to the Division
I National Wrestling Championships in St. Louis Missouri this
weekend, as two Cal Poly Wrestlers have made it to the semifinals
of the National Championships.
Liddell
talked to the media about how great it was to be able to workout
with those wrestlers "in-season" as the wrestlers are
in the best shape of their lives competing in nationals this
weekend and how he feels he is in great shape getting ready for
Tito.
When
asked how he thought Tito would fight him, Chuck said "He
will stand with me for about 25 seconds then shoot in and go
for the takedown." Liddell also said, "I don't buy
into him telling everyone he is going to stand with me. If he
does he knows he will get knocked out."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Bang
Returns to Japan for K-1 Max
He's known that he is going to fight on April 7th, but now, Duane
"Bang" Ludwig finally knows who he will be fighting.
K-1 has told Ludwig that he will be fighting John Wayne Parr
in a qualifier for the K-1 World Max tournament; in other words,Ludwig
must beat Parr to move on to the tournament. The only fighter
that doesn't have to fight a qualifier is last year's champion
Masato.
As
for Parr, he is a very tough fighter in his own right. Hailing
from Australia, Parr is an accomplished Muay Thai fighter that
has lived and trained in Thailand and has won numerous championships
including many stadium championships in Thailand. In 58 fights,
Parr has won 44 times and 25 of those by knockout. He has also
won 9 of 11 boxing matches, all 9 by knockout. In other words,
Ludwig doesn't have an easy road to the tournament.
But
Ludwig isn't taken back, despite his past success in K-1, he
doesn't expect anything less. "Everyone has to win a spot
in the tournament; except for, Masato because he is the returning
champion. It's fair," says Ludwig in a matter of fact tone.
If
he beats Parr on April 7th, Ludwig will move on to the K-1 Max
tournament in July. In the meantime, he already has another fight
planned before July, win or lose against Parr. After facing Parr,
Ludwig will head off to Switzerland to fight French fighter,
Fadi Merza, in Super League, which is an event that fights under
the same rules as K-1.
As
for MMA, Ludwig would like to return to the Octagon and had been
offered a rematch with Genki Sudo, but the timing just hasn't
worked out, and for whatever reason, Sudo declined the offer
of a rematch.
"The
biggest problem with returning to the UFC is the 30 day separation
needed between the UFC show and when I have a K-1 fight,"
says
Ludwig. "I'd love to fight in the UFC again, it's just a
matter of working out the details and timing."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Interview:
Rich 'No Love' Clementi
by: Keith Mills
Team
Extreme’s Rich “No Love” Clementi recently beat
Red Devil’s Sergei Goliaev in Euphoria MFC's 'Russia vs.
USA' event. Since 2001 Lightweight Rich has only lost to Pete
Spratt who fights at Welterweight, Yves Edwards in Rich’s
UFC debut, American Top Team’s Marcus Aurellio in the finals
of the ZST tournament in Japan, and David Gardner in from most
accounts a boring decision in FFC. In the same stretch of time
he racked up thirteen wins and one draw including Naoyuki Kotani
and Tomomi Iwama in the ZST tournament. His opponent Goliaev
is a European myai thai champion and North-West Region Mix-Fight
Lightweight champion in M-1. Goliaev was coming off a loss also,
his in October in M-1 in Moscow. With a 4-2 MMA record going
into this fight Goliaev was much less experienced than Rich but
all of his MMA fights have ended either in submission or decision
making him seem much more well-rounded than some in the West
have given him credit. In a fight most observers called the fight
of the night these two went at it full force.
KM:
I have a lot of respect for you and you impressed me in that
second round but let’s get the first round out of the way.
It seemed like you were having trouble in that first round with
your strategy of trying to stand up. How do you look back at
that first round? RC: Basically I try to stand up with everybody
regardless. That is the type of fighter I am. I enjoy standup
and if things aren’t going my way I’ll change my gameplan.
To grow in this sport and as a fighter you have to go out there
and test your skills a little bit and try it out. That is how
I fight. I try to be well-rounded in every area and if a certain
thing isn’t working my way I’ll try to change it. That
was the gameplan going in. He was definitely a lot better than
I was informed or I expected.
KM:
My understanding is you didn’t know much about your opponent
at all going into this. RC: No.
KM:
Did it bother you at all that you didn’t know much about
him? RC: No, not really. Once you get up to this level everyone
is tough. I figured just because of my experience and I’ve
seen a lot of other Russians fight his ground game would be weaker
than mine if I got in trouble. To be honest with the way the
card was I knew there were not that many guys on the American
side that were going to strike which I was wrong because quite
a few guys did stand up and bang a little bit. I wanted to separate
myself if it did come down to wrestling I stood out a little
bit more for the fact I did want to stand up and throw some punches.
KM:
The first two times in you went to the ground in the first round
it looked like you slipped. Were you having problems with the
mat? RC: I had a bad knee from a fight prior. I hit my last opponent
in the head a few times with my rear knee and I don’t think
it was real stable for me. The mat was a little slippery too
and the fact of being rocked a little bit…all those combinations
together I was having a hard time. Definitely my knee was about
70% going into that fight.
KM:
I’m sure we all wish you a speedy recovery. RC: It’s
just muscle damage. I can’t go down for a full shot, that
type of thing.
KM:
After that you got knocked down I believe three times? RC: I
think it was two but it could have been three. Who knows.
KM:
How were you feeling at that point? RC: I definitely had problems.
I have trouble fighting taller people too. He definitely knew
what he was doing. I had a hard time getting my range and doing
what I wanted to do. You can tell when you are fighting an experienced
fighter if he can control the distance and temp of the standup
and I was definitely having a hard time doing that. To top it
off he was unorthodox. He threw some really crazy angular stuff.
KM:
Was it at the break between rounds that you adjusted the strategy
or did you decide in the first round? RC: The end of the first
round. I clinched with him and took him down. He was holding
the ropes quite a bit trying to stop my takedown. I felt once
we were in the clinch he was a lot weaker than I was. Once we
hit the ground I could tell he didn’t have good hits or
nothing like that. Like you said I went out in the first round
and tried it a little bit and the gameplan in the second round
was kind of rush him with some punches, take him down, and if
I was going to stand up again I at least wanted to slow him down
a little bit and that way even it out a little more.
KM:
I was trying to get an idea of if it was your choice to change
the strategy or if that was on advice from your corner. RC: No,
it was mine when I went back. They were like ‘just do this’
and I was like ‘I’ll probably just take him down’
and we went from there a little bit.
KM:
That impressed me. Here it was you took some shots but survived
and didn’t seem to show too much damage and then you changed
strategy and were more effective. It really showed how well-rounded
you were, especially considering you didn’t know anything
about him. How do you feel about that perception? RC: I appreciate
it. That is just the type of guy I want to be. I want people
to know when they fight me they are going to have to deal with
everything. They can’t train just one thing. To be honest
I probably could have beat him faster, probably could have went
in there and took him down and grounded and pounded him for a
win but then a lot of people wouldn’t have said ‘look
at this fighter’. To be honest my last fight with David
Gardner (FFC 8 3/5/04) it was a borefest. I don’t think
a lot of that was me, I think it was poor reffing and the way
David Gardner wanted that fight to go. To me it’s not fighting.
I want people to know that is the type of fighter I am and when
I fight on their shows that is what they can expect form me.
KM:
It seemed like you weren’t having problems controlling the
second round and taking him down and controlling ground positions.
Then he started firing off several what I thought were blatantly
illegal knees to the back of your head that opened a cut. The
ref stepped in and seemed to asses a foul and restarted the fight
and he did it again. What was your recollection or perception
of that series of knees? RC: I was the one who told the ref like
‘hey man, this is ridiculous. Maybe you didn’t see,
maybe you were watching the facial area…it’s hard to
say’. I was definitely upset. I really think the reason
he did that was it was the point he was in a lot of trouble and
he did it out of more desperation than anything. That happens
and I’m not saying he didn’t mean to do it on purpose
but when your arms are trapped and someone is rocking on you
you are only going to do what comes naturally.
KM:
Until you said something to the ref and he froze it I was giving
Goliaev the benefit of the doubt maybe there was a language barrier
with the rules or misunderstanding but once the ref retarted
and he hit you with another one I was like ‘you can’t
say this is a language issue’. RC: To be honest that is
the first time I ever fought mad. I always try to keep my composure
and stuff.
KM:
There was a lot of blood from that. What was the result of those
knees? RC: I got an inch and a half gash on the back of my head.
I probably could use stitches but I just betterflied it up. It’s
in a place where if it scars up it’s on the back of my head
so I really don’t care too much. It was definitely the worst
cut I ever received.
KM:
How worried were you at that point about a TKO/doctor stoppage?
RC: I would have got the win, correct? Is that how it would have
went with an illegal blow?
KM:
I can’t speak for New Jersey but if stopped for a cut from
an illegal blow it should have been a disqualification and not
TKO on you. Maybe a ‘no contest’ if there was a rules
dispute. With the ref not stopping the knees until you spoke
up I was wondering if they acknowledged them… RC: Actually
the only thing going through my mind was I knew with the Nevada
and New Jersey rules that with a cut stoppage it goes right back
to the same (ground) position and that is why I wanted to continue.
When I felt his skill on the ground I knew there was no way he
was getting out from under me. I was just looking to get back
out there and really make him pay for taking those shots on me
like that. And for hurting me at standup. It didn’t hurt
my ego but I was like ‘man, that kid caught me pretty good’.
I remember when I got side mount on him doing that lazy man resting
position I do, one of my favorite positions to do a lot of damage,
I remember what was going through my mind was ‘you hurt
me a little standing up, now it’s my turn’.
KM:
Shortly after the restart you got full mount and were firing
down shots before going for an armbar and ending with a triangle.
Were you satisfied with that ending? RC: Yeah, somewhat, because
I knew that he wasn’t going to tap from punches. I kind
of wanted to knock him out. I was working some good shots on
him but I really wanted to go for that armbar from that top mount
position, it just looks nice. It’s a position where you
can throw a lot of serious pressure on that arm like that. He
squirmed out of it and went right into the triangle. He couldn’t
tap because I had both his arms. I was working one armbar and
the other was trapped in the triangle. A lot of people didn’t
realize (he verbally submitted). Imagine closing your mouth and
try to scream. It was a sound no matter what language, the sound
of desperation. That is why I think it was worth it like that.
In
part two we find out more about Rich, his role as promoter, Team
Extreme, and hopefully put to rest once and for all the can’t-be-avoided
controversial fight at one of his shows featuring the short-lived
husband of Brittany Spears. For a gallery of shots from this
fight check out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2004/M1/mfc031304/clementi.htm.
Source: ADCC |
Welcome
to the Rumble: Inside Portland's Real-Life Fight Club
by James Reid Harrison
In
less than eight hours, Josh Bennett will stand face to face inside
a cage with another man determined to kick, punch and choke him
unconscious. But the husky 27-year-old doesn't seem fazed by
that prospect in the slightest, as he and over a dozen other
fighters, mostly clad in black jackets or hooded sweatshirts,
their hair cropped short or shaved altogether, mill about a cinderblock
basement beneath Portland's Roseland Theater.
They're
here to weigh-in for tonight's Rumble at the Roseland, an amateur
local mixed martial arts (MMA) spectacle in which competitors
fight both standing up and on the ground, blending wrestling,
Muay Thai kick boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and other forms of
hand-to-hand combat.
As
they wait for their turn on the scale, some fighters are taking
the opportunity to scope out opponents, while others pose for
promotional photographs, scowling for the camera. Overall the
mood seems surprisingly relaxed and low-key given the fact almost
everyone present will be throwing down by nightfall.
"We'll
fight soon enough," Bennett says, when I mention the relaxed
atmosphere. "There's no reason to get upset."
Looking
around, I realize there's another reason why no one here has
to act tough. They are tough.
Upstairs,
on the Roseland's main floor, the arena in which they will battle
awaits in semi-darkness. Twenty-five feet across, with chain-link
walls rising 11 feet off the ground, the octagonal cage, affectionately
dubbed "The Slammer," is an imposing sight, even with
no one locked inside it.
Standing
6'4 and weighing 260 pounds, Bennett possesses a formidable silhouette
himself, particularly if you factor in his ability to inflict
excruciating pain in a zillion different joint-popping ways.
But he's also friendly, down-to-earth, and -- at the moment at
least -- more sleepy-eyed than menacing.
"I
had to work last night, I was up till four," he explains.
Bennett's a bouncer at a bar where the middle-aged patrons are
relatively sedate. "I just kind of stand there … not
smiling. That does it for me," he laughs.
"Bouncing,"
adds Bennett, "is just like babysitting."
He
may be the only MMA fighter here -- maybe the only one in the
world -- to get his start by taking Tae Bo, a mix of aerobics
and high-kicking karate moves set to dance music.
While
working as a long haul trucker in the late 90s, Bennett came
home to Camas, Wash. one day, stepped on a scale, and realized
he'd ballooned up to 360 pounds. He decided to quit trucking
and join his girlfriend's new exercise class.
Punching
his way through techno remixes of new wave hits brought his weight
down, but it also stoked his curiosity. Bennett started practicing
various martial arts, and the more he practiced, the more he
wanted to actually test his new skills. Rolling around with fellow
students wasn't enough of a challenge. He sought an arena with
as few rules as legally possible, and in the Rumble, he's found
it.
Across
the crowded basement, and on the other end of the scale, Chad
Nelson kicks back on a couch with fellow members of the Dog Pound
Fight Team out of Eugene, Oregon, and their trainer, Marcus Lewis.
Nelson is the Rumble's reigning lightweight champion.
"I
had a bad temper when I was a kid, and my parents sent me to
martial arts thinking it would calm me down -- and it worked,"
he says, explaining how he got into combat sports. "Maybe
just getting rid of the extra energy, I don't know. I started
out taking Tae Kwan Do and after doing that for a couple of years,
I walked into a Thai kickboxing gym and I liked that a lot better.
It seemed more real. It seemed like something you could do in
the street if you needed to."
When
I ask Nelson if he's been in many street fights, he politely
downplays the issue. "Just a few. I try to stay clear of
it. I got a couple of kids. It's just more trouble than it is
worth, basically."
With
his busy schedule, it's hard to see how Nelson could find the
time to get into trouble, even if he wanted to. He typically
rises at 5 a.m. to run and lift weights for two hours before
going to his job installing and maintaining electronic security
systems. When he gets off work eight-and-a half hours later,
Nelson does more exercises and takes a brief nap before hitting
the gym around six, where, he explains, "we go over submissions
and wrestling for about an hour, kickboxing for about an hour,
and then just full contact everything. We fight pretty much every
day."
On
top of all this, he's also going to night school, studying to
improve his electrical skills, and has those two children to
raise, "a 3 year old and a 4 month old, both boys. The 3
year old," he notes with a laugh, "already wants to
fight."
With
all that, how does he find the energy to keep going?
"I
ask myself that sometimes," he laughs. "All I know
is, when I sit around, I feel like a piece of crap and I want
to get back into the gym, no matter how tiring it is." Nelson
figures he'll keep competing "until my body gives out. I've
been a fighter since I was a kid."
His
family, he says, is for the most part proud of his MMA career.
"They see me basically going after my dreams. I know that
I'm good enough, that I want to see how far I can go with it."
If he quit now, Nelson fears, "I'd pretty much regret it,
for the rest of my life. …"
Like
many fighters, both he and Bennett hope to one-day turn pro,
which could mean the chance to actually earn a living at what
has been strictly a labor of love. The odds however, are stacked
against them. There are very few openings on the pro shows, with
thousands of athletes all over the world competing for them.
No matter how good or tenacious you are, it still might not be
enough to kick down the right doors.
Even
so, both men know another victory tonight could inch them closer
toward that goal.
Sitting
next to him, Nelson's teammate Gary Olson is a soft-spoken bartender
and former college wrestler who has only been training with the
Pound for four months. Tonight he will be stepping into the cage
for the first time.
"Fear
is a bad word for me," he says, when I ask how his nerves
are holding up. "But anxiety, yes, there is that. You just
have to block it out and get yourself ready. Mentally you don't
want to sit there and go 'Okay, this guy is going to kill me.'
You just have to work your game. Ultimately you want to do what
you do best, you don't want to think of the bad things. …
As soon as you start thinking negative, it just tears you down."
Olsen
says his friends and colleagues have a typical response when
they find out he's fighting in a cage.
"A
lot of them go: 'you're doing what?' But after that goes away,
a lot of them want to come watch, and see what it's about."
Like
all the fighters I spoke to, Bennett, Nelson and Olson are adamant
they fight because they love the competition, not out of any
ill will toward their fellow combatants.
"You
don't want to seriously hurt anybody," says Olson. "Like
any sport, things can happen, but you don't want to do anything
that will seriously affect anyone's life."
When
people discover he's an MMA fighter, Bennett notes, they jump
to certain conclusions. "People who have never done hard
sports just think you're a bully or a thug; they associate negative
things with you. … Other than some parking and driving tickets
I've never been in trouble. Never been in street fights."
"You
know what violence really is?" he asks me. "It's when
one person doesn't want to be there, like a bully picking on
someone in the street. We're not mad at each other. This is just
a game to us."
The
biggest misconception most people have when it comes to MMA,
Nelson feels, is "that it's a blood bath, or that the fighters
hate each other. It's a sport. I think it is probably one of
the most difficult sports out there."
While
other fighters might not like it, there's at least one person
here who is happy to have MMA labeled barbaric.
Promoter
and fighter Chael Sonnen, along with his partner Kevin Keeney,
started the Rumble in October of 2001. Tonight will mark their
eleventh show at the Roseland.
"I
would have to consult a dictionary and find out what that word
exactly means," Sonnen says, "but it is an ass-whooping
contest in a cage, and I have a college degree and to me that's
'barbaric.'"
"We
don't apologize for the sport being 'barbaric,' he continues,
one eye on the box office. "We don't apologize for it being
a 'human cockfight.' … I'm promoting those descriptions.
… I've been in a lot of bars when two guys go outside and
there's not too many people who stay inside the bar. Everybody
wants to see the fight. So we just let people know there is an
ass whooping show in town, and they show up."
The
Rumbles, he says, routinely sell out. And he's not about to run
out of willing competitors.
"We've
got about 200 fighters on reserve right now, that have been there
for about eight months, that we haven't been able to get into
shows. … We used to do nine or 10 fights a show, now we
do 12 to 13 just to give these guys an opportunity."
Because
the Rumble is an amateur event, Sonnen's organization, the Full
Contact Fighting Federation (FCFF), doesn't have to deal with
a lot of the state regulations that can entangle professional
shows. But it also means the fighters don't get paid anything.
Despite sell-out crowds, Sonnen says he's not motivated by profit.
"We
are in it for the love of the sport. We're not taking money from
this organization, this is a hobby for us; it is a hobby for
the athletes. As soon as the company has some money, we put it
right back into the show. …"
Though
quick to label his own event barbaric, Sonnen also points out
that he has an Emergency Medical Technician, a nurse practitioner,
and a board-certified doctor on hand just in case it gets too
barbaric.
"We
are not going into our first show, were going into our sixteenth;
we are not going into our first fight, we are going into our
one-hundred-seventieth fight -- that's 340 athletes, and of those
340, the FCFF hasn't had one injury. Not one," he stresses.
Asked
if maybe he doesn't mean one serious injury, Sonnen is adamant
he means what he says.
"Not
one injury. I'm saying not one injury. No one has left in an
ambulance; no one has needed help out of the ring. Anyone who
fights in our show on Saturday can get up on Sunday and go to
church. They can fight again on Sunday, for that matter."
Locking
up his car not far from the Roseland an hour before the show
is to start, 23-year-old fight fan Daniel Long says he drove
all the way from Forrest Grove just to see it. Before he can
explain what draws him to the Rumble, his friend Brad Clark interjects
a word of caution. "Don't say the violence," he advises,
only half-joking.
"They're
like the world's best athletes and they don't get any recognition,"
adds his girlfriend, 23-year-old Kori Christley.
Standing
in the middle of a long line of people waiting to pay $30 to
$50 a seat, 33-year-old Portland resident Shannon Kuykendall
reveals a slightly more salacious attitude toward the sport.
"I'm a virgin," she says. "I've never been to
one before." A customer service representative, she expects
to see "Lots of blood. A lot of hot, sweaty men."
She
thinks the sexual subtext is obvious: "Well, yeah,"
she says. "You get a lot of men, the adrenaline's going,
you know. …"
As
a member of the Roseland's black-clad security personnel, Dan
Richards is stationed at one of two metal detectors just inside
the theater's entrance, frisking those who pass through.
I
ask him to compare the Rumble's audience to that of a typical
concert's. "This is more mellow," he says, after thinking
about it for a second. "Once in a while, there are disputes,
but no fights." Families and businessmen tend to show up,
he adds, along with military personnel and police. "Actually,"
Richards confides, "a lot of the off-duty cops come here."
On
the main floor, young men in baseball caps form the largest contingent,
but there are many women and older couples too, even some children.
The crowd is clearly pumped up for action, but for the most part
surprisingly polite. Step on the foot of some guy with a shaved
head and weight lifter's build here and he's likely to apologize
before you can. I find myself wondering if people are simply
being friendly, or if -- with so many potentially skilled combatants
concentrated in one spot -- they're just more prudent. As the
only place beside the bar where security won't confiscate your
drink, the balcony is slightly more boisterous and definitely
more crowded. Plastic cups in hand, people stand shoulder-to-shoulder
looking down at the cage, now bathed in a phalanx of spotlights.
In
the basement, the mood is subdued and focused as the Rumble gets
underway. One fighter practices round house kicks as his partner
holds up a heavy pad, the thwack! as regular as a metronome.
Through the ceiling the crowd roars as one of the preliminary
matches comes to an end. Moments later, a fighter who looks to
be in his late teens comes down the stairs, torso gleaming with
sweat, face smeared with blood.
"How'd
you do?" someone asks.
"Oh,
he caught me in the second round," the defeated fighter
says, as casually as if he'd just lost a game of tic-tac-toe.
Over
by the couch, the Dog Pound is running through their paces. Lewis
leans in toward Olson, speaking in a low, hypnotically urgent
tone, as the two practice standing grappling moves. Lewis is
trying to boost his fighter's confidence in the remaining minutes
before the cage door slams shut and Olson is on his own. The
novice nods and bobs his head in a quick, nervous tempo, repeatedly
glancing up at his trainer, then back down at the floor. They're
surrounded by other Pound members, but there's something so private,
so vulnerable about the moment, it's hard not to look away.
"Just
do your thing, man. Just keep moving, it's all going to be good.
…" Lewis promises.
The
music above kicks into a thundering martial beat. A Rosewood
employee appears at the top of the stairs. "Gary Olson and
Jarred Freeman," she calls in a loud, apathetic voice. It's
time.
Olson
strides up the three flights and into the arena, the rest of
the Pound right behind him. In the shadows behind the cage Lewis
massages his fighter’s shoulders as they watch the waning
seconds of the current match. After eating a series of vicious
knees, a pony-tailed man in his mid-40s drops for good and now
it’s Olson’s turn. The music is so loud the floor is
literally shuddering beneath our feet as he steps into the cage.
Compared to his ripped physique, his opponent looks just slightly
soft, but the announcer gives Freeman’s record as an intimidating
20 wins with only one loss. Olson of course, has no record to
give.
As
soon as the round begins he shoots in and tries to take Freeman
down, but ends up getting slammed backwards against the chain-link
fence. The two trade knees to the midsection, then Freeman tries
to throw him to the ground, but Olson twists as they go down
and lands on top.
Freeman
immediately escapes out from under him and -- in less time than
it takes the two of them to scramble to their feet -- catches
Olson in a front standing choke or guillotine. Seconds into the
first round, with his oxygen cut off and no hope of escape, Olson
might as well be at the bottom of the sea. He bows to the inevitable
and taps out, disappointment pulling on his face as Freeman’s
hand is raised for his twenty-first victory.
Outside
the cage, the two are interviewed by UFC superstar Randy Couture.
In a gesture as graceful as it is magnanimous, Freeman (like
Couture and Sonnen, a member of Team Quest) puts his arm around
Olson and both fighters grin as they discuss their match for
the cameras.
Back
downstairs a short time later, Olson pauses to commiserate with
another fighter, Ryan Newton, an elaborately tattooed heavyweight
who fights under the name Big Chief (“I’m half Indian,”
he cheerfully explains). Newton broke his little pinky punching
his way to victory in the match prior to Olson’s and is
now seated on a couch, gingerly examining the swollen digit.
“It’s
busted. Aaah … Fuck,” he concludes with weary resignation.
“I was hitting that guy hard, man. Well, it’s better
than last time, man. Last time it cost me $1300!” Big Chief
is referring to a previous bout with Bennett, in which his upper
lip was split open so badly it had to be surgically repaired.
Olson
is trying to take his own loss in stride. “It’s just
a stupid mistake on my part. Usually, I can get out of those,
but he cinched it up pretty good. … I would like to have
that one back again,” he adds under his breath, referring
to the instant before escape became impossible.
When
another competitor, 155-pounder Adam Matlock, comes downstairs
from his own match, Olson asks, “What happened?”
“Ah,
I got choked,” answers Matlock.
“Oh,
damn it!” Olson says with real emotion, genuinely dismayed
that a compatriot has suffered the same fate.
“Hey,
it’s going around,” the smaller fighter quips, deadpan.
“It was a good fight. That’s all I ask for.”
Upstairs,
Bennett is strolling toward the cage to the twangy voice of Merle
Haggard, crooning “Good Old Boys,” the Dukes of Hazzard
theme song and a Bennett favorite. He’s moving with the
slow, easy pace of a big man comfortable with his size, in no
particular hurry to get where he’s going. The crowd shouts
its approval when his name is announced. Trent Standing, his
opponent, moves more quickly, entering the ring with nimble steps.
They
touch gloves as the round begins and immediately shift into high
gear, Standing throwing punches and Bennett countering with a
knee that appears to land directly on his opponent’s chin.
Unfazed, Standing bulls Bennett against the fence and nails him
with two vicious uppercuts.
Bennett’s
whole face shakes from the impact as if made of Jell-O. But before
Standing can hit him again, Bennett suddenly takes him to the
ground where he drills Standing’s face with lightning fast
elbows and hammer fists.
Now
blood is running down the side of Standing’s head, pooling
in his ear. Bennett rears up on one knee, trying to gain more
punching leverage, but Standing has wrapped both his legs around
one of Bennett’s, tying him in place. As Bennett catches
his opponent’s arm and tries to hyperextend it, the crowd
roars approval. But Standing gets free.
The
round ends with the bleat of an air horn. The referee restarts
them on their feet where Standing immediately unleashes a furious
volley of punches, elbows and knees. Bennett is stunned, blood
streaming down his face, but still upright. Suddenly Standing
pauses and looks back at the ref, pointing to where Bennett’s
right eyebrow has split horizontally, raw flesh popping out like
the stuffing in an old couch. The ref takes one look and 37 seconds
into round two, it’s all over. Bloodied but unbowed, both
men embrace, then Standing raises the championship belt high
above his head
Earlier,
Bennett had described his fellow combatants as a kind of community,
bonded by the exclusive and extreme nature of their sport.
“There’s
a saying in Fight Club: ‘You don’t know somebody till
you fought them,’ and I can say it’s fairly true,”
he tells me. “One of my losses was to Josh Haynes. He’s
the current champion. … Me and him, we fought a real hard
match and I held him down for a good four minutes and I beat
on him as hard as I could and he never once quit. He never showed
any sign he was going to give up.”
In
the second round, Haynes caught Bennett in a choke and forced
him to tap. The two had never met before, but when he learned
afterwards that Haynes’ 4-month-old son had been diagnosed
with brain cancer, Bennett wanted to help.
“After
Josh and I fought,” Haynes tells me later, clearly still
touched by the memory, “he opened an account for my son,
just out of the blue, and tried to collect some money.”
Both
men agree combat can reveal an individual’s inner nature.
“You
get to see into a person’s soul when you fight that person,”
says Haynes, a computer network engineer for a non-profit hospital.
“You learn a lot about who a person is and what they’re
willing to do to get by in life, whether it’s in the ring,
or on a day-to-day basis.”
Now,
downstairs after his loss, Bennett proudly introduces me to Haynes
and his son, Thor, now 2 years old and -- following seven brain
operations and eight months of chemotherapy -- cancer free.
Bennett
is disappointed but stoic in defeat, his face starred with strawberry-colored
welts, his eyebrow taped shut.
“Well,
you know, Trent’s a good guy. He worked hard. I got cut,”
he shakes his head ruefully. “I’m probably going to
need about eight stitches.” Bennett’s hoping someone
here can sew him up otherwise he’ll have to wait around
in an emergency room, when what he really wants to do is get
a cheeseburger.
“I’m
hungry,” he explains. “I haven’t eaten since two
and I’m used to eating four times a day.”
On
the main floor, Nelson stands in the shadows, championship belt
in hand, awaiting the latest threat to his title and the last
fight of the night. He hops lightly from foot to foot, his face
impassive beneath the hood of his boxing robe, eyes unreadable.
His challenger, Anthony “ICEE” Hamlett, a former Rumble
referee with a formidable fighting record of his own, stands
just a few feet in front of him. Both men are facing the cage.
Neither acknowledges the other, intent on the battle ahead.
“Keep
your fuckin’ hands up,” Lewis exhorts Nelson.
Within
seconds after the match has begun, the FCFF lightweight champion
is exactly where he doesn’t want to be: on his back, with
Hamlett on top of him. “Move, Chad, move!” someone
in the audience shouts. Then in a spectacular maneuver that rivals
anything from professional wrestling, Nelson, still flat on his
back, somehow manages to get both feet under Hamlett and launch
him flying through the air. He barely has time to stand before
Hamlett is on him again, Nelson firing off a few punches before
the two lock up. This time it is Hamlett who ends up on his back
when they hit the ground.
“Yeah!
Bring the pain down, Chad! Bring it to him!” someone shouts.
Then -- it isn’t clear why -- the ref abruptly steps in
and suddenly the fight is over. There is a smattering of boos
at the confusing conclusion, but as Hamlett rises unsteadily
to his feet, grimacing in pain, the reason behind it becomes
obvious: his arm, hanging limply by his side, has come completely
out of the socket.
Back
downstairs, with his arm reset (the dislocation was related to
an older injury) Hamlett and Nelson discuss their match and trade
compliments. “And Anthony,” Nelson says, “all
that smack talk you see on the forum … that’s not me.”
(The
FCFF has a website where fighters -- and some who like to impersonate
fighters -- discuss past and upcoming events, occasionally taking
written jabs at each other.)
Meanwhile,
Bennett has been told he must go to the ER, but wrangles permission
to eat first. Upstairs, he reunites with members of his family
who were in the audience, including his mother, Sandy.
Watching
him fight is “kind of scary,” she acknowledges. “But
it’s what he does and he loves doing it, and I support him
100 percent. It takes a lot of dedication. … And you know,”
she adds, one hand on her son’s broad shoulders, “he’s
pretty no matter what.”
Bennett
turns away, a sheepish grin on his battered face, and they head
out into the night in search of that cheeseburger and afterwards,
an ER with no waiting.
Inside,
the cage has already been dismantled, the audience satiated and
long since departed. Monday is just around the corner, and with
it, the start of yet another workweek. For a brief period tonight,
some, fighters and fans alike, found respite in a spectacle whose
roots stretch back all the way to ancient Greece.
I
think those roots are part of the event’s appeal. There’s
an elemental aspect to combat sports, something that defies the
disconnected nature of modern life, the minutia built up layer
by layer over the decades, the bank statements and mortgage payments
and traffic jams, the monotonous curse of the every day, obliterated
by the roar of the crowd, reduced in a flood of bright light
to a single, primal conflict.
“While
you’re doing it,” Bennett had told me almost wistfully,
“the rest of the world goes away and your only problem …
is the person in front of you.”
Josh
Bennett’s cut took 10 stitches to close. He was told not
to fight for another six weeks but began training two days later.
Gary Olson is working full time as a bartender but may eventually
return to the cage. Chad Nelson will once again defend his FCFF
title May 15 in Medford, Ore. The next Rumble at the Roseland
will be held this Saturday, March 20, in Portland.
James
Reid Harrison is a freelance writer living in Portland, Oregon
Source:
Maxfighting |
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